Survivor
by emptyvoices
Summary: COMPLETE: It has been once year since the fateful Red Eye Flight and Lisa has gotten engaged and started to move on with her life. Unfortunately, Jackson Rippner refuses to move on with his and kidnaps Lisa in an effort to replace his former partner. Th
1. Nightmare

_Lisa Reisert backed away in horror after Jackson Rippner in rage pried the hockey stick from her hands. Dazed after the two impacts she suffered from Jackson's head, she struggled to stay alert and aware. Jackson furiously tried to gain control of her wrists and she fought Jackson with all the strength she had available however he managed to pin her wrists above her head against the wall. His pale, blue eyes resembled ice bergs which glared at her. "Does he even have a soul?" Lisa thought, "No I'm not going to let this happen again. I can't. I've come this far." To his face, she sneered at him. "Your pathetic", spitting out her rage, her voice filled with animosity. His face jerked and his hollow blue eyes became darker. "He's going to kill me", She thought. "He's going to strangle me right here." Instead Jackson grabbed her arms and in one movement threw her down the stair well. Lisa tumbled and fell hitting her head against the wooden railing. She got up slowly and saw Jackson had recovered his knife and was starting to advance down the stairs. She looked around desperately for a weapon and found her father's would be assassin's gun equipped with silencer, lying on the bottom step. She reached out quickly, grasped the weapon and pointed it at him. Jackson froze, looking shocked. He quickly recovered from his moment of alarm and whispered "We'll talk later". Lisa shook her head and said shakily, "Don't move". Thoughts coursed through her. "This must end today." She said to herself. Jackson looked at her for a moment and then attempted to run into the kitchen. Lisa closed her eyes as she shot praying that she would bring him down. The gun jerked in her hands as the recoil caused the shot to go into his lower abdomen. Enraged, he ran down the stairs, kicked the gun out of her hands grabbing her by the hair and dragged her into the entryway. Lisa started to scream in pain when she heard her father's voice cry out harshly. "Hey!" Jackson looked up at her father, frozen as her dad pointed his gun at him. A shot rang out a moment later as both Lisa and Jackson fell to the floor._


	2. False Security

Lisa woke up gasping for air. For a moment a panicked thought crossed her mind. "Jackson is still in the house again!" Then her memory flooded back to her. She calmed herself down by repeating silently, "Its ok, he's not here. That was a year ago." She remembered in a moment that Jackson had died after suffering two gunshot wounds on top of the pen that she stabbed into his windpipe. The police had called only hours after Jackson had been taken to the hospital by paramedics. The Lieutenant handling the case commented sympathetically, "I don't mean to speak ill of the dead but I'm glad for your sake the bastard is gone." Shaking his head, he continued, "Now, you can try to move on with your life. Let me know if you need anything."

Lisa went into her bathroom and filled a class with water. For a moment when she looked at the mirror she almost saw the remnants of the liquid soap she had used on the mirror in the airplane bathroom a year ago to write "18F has bomb". She shook her head and her vision cleared. All she saw was her own panic-stricken reflection. Suddenly arms grabbed her from behind. Lisa choked back a scream and looked at the mirror to see her fiancé David Rosen as he playfully put his arms around her.

"David!" Lisa sighed, "What are you doing up? You nearly scared me to death." David laughed. "I just want to see if I could catch you off guard."

When Lisa scowled at him, David's expression changed and he looked concerned. "What is it? Did you have another nightmare?" Lisa tried to sound casual. "Yeah, but at least they don't change. I'm sort of getting used to them by now." David sighed and said, "Well, in two weeks I'll have you all to myself in Greece and then it'll be just us, the beach and maybe some of those mixed cocktails with the little umbrellas in them. You won't even have a chance to think about that creep."

Lisa went pale at the mention of cocktails remembering Jackson and her first encounter disastrous encounter months ago. For the two years prior to Jackson holding her hostage, she became reclusive and one of her enjoyments everyday was to have a Grapefruit Seabreeze after her shift as a hotel manager was completed. When Jackson correctly identified what her favorite drink was in the airport lounge, Lisa felt uncertain about this stranger she had met in line. It disconcerted her that he was able to guess her favorite drink so quickly. She had merely shaken the thought out of her head and proceeded to order a Bay Breeze finding it somewhat detestable. Lisa knew she wanted to make an effort to reassure herself that not all of the male species around her were shadowy figures lurking in alley ways finding the right moment to attack you. Still it took everything she had to sit down at that bar next to Jackson and engage in a somewhat flirtatious discussion. She thought darkly, "What does this say about my choice in men." The minute she let down her guard, he attacked her.

David, who she had initially formed a good friendship with, had transitioned into a relationship. He was different then anyone she had met before. She met him through Charles Keefe after that fateful night on the plane. She smiled at the memory. Charles Keefe had approached her and his expression was beyond gratitude. After that night, Lisa was considered almost an adopted member of his family. She spent time with them as they visited the Lux Atlantic, the hotel in which she was currently managing until after the honeymoon. David was the one who helped her to put behind the trauma of what Jackson had done to her behind her. She had become a stronger person and when Cynthia or other friends of Lisa's asked her about how it felt to be a victim in such a grotesque plan, Lisa had shaken her head in denial. "I'm not a victim. I'm a survivor. I know now I will not be made defenseless again."

Charles Keefe had been the one who introduced her to his head of security and now Lisa's future husband, David Rosen. His years of duty with the secret service equaled with his kindness and humor, he challenged her in so many ways. She finally felt protected. He never pushed intimacy since he knew the traumatic events of the past created boundaries within her that she had to choose to overcome. Six months after meeting him, she was the one to invite him into her home for the night.

Lisa turned around to face David. "Have I told you that I loved you?" She asked putting her arms around him. David grinned. "Nope, not since yesterday." Lisa let go of David and slapped him playfully on the arm. "I can't believe we've been engaged for 6 months already and we'll be married in three weeks." David chuckled. "Yes and Charles has always told me I'm not the marrying kind." He said jokingly.

He looked at his watch. "Damn, I got to go. Charles has another public appearance he has to make." Lisa groaned. "Do you have to leave so early? You know, I'm not going to see you for two weeks." David was leaving with Charles Keefe to do a number of talks around the country with various heads of states. He looked at her with a concerned expression. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you to pack up your Dad's house. It can't be easy for you to do it alone."

Lisa shook her head. "No, it's fine. David, I'll be ok. Plus this is something I have to do on my own. I have to say good-bye alone". A solitary tear ran down Lisa's cheek. Her father had passed away so suddenly after suffering a massive heart attack. "I'm sorry David but I always dreamed that my father would walk me down the aisle at my wedding. I wish you guys got a chance to get to know each other better."

David nodded and with his hand, wiped away the tear. "Me too." He said, "But he'll be there in spirit, if I know anything about your Dad. Charles is only a substitute." She smiled and said "Aside from my Dad, I can't think of anyone else who I would want more to give me away." She hugged David. "You better go," She whispered. "Give Charles my best." David gave her a gentle kiss, picked up his luggage and left the house.


	3. The Dead Return

After Lisa ate breakfast, she headed to the Lux Atlantic to discuss operations with Cynthia and transferred her authorization codes to her. Since last year, the hotel stiffened their regulations about authorization codes. A computerized system was installed in which the managerial authorization codes changed daily and each manager and assistant manager in the hotel had a different code which allowed them particular levels of access depending on their level. "A safer system" Lisa thought, "But a confusing one." Cynthia looked pained. "I can't believe you are moving away after the wedding but you deserve the promotion. I'm going to miss you Leese."

David and Lisa were moving to Washington D.C. where the corporate office of the hotel was located. As soon as the engagement was announced the CEO came personally to her hotel and congratulated her. At the same time he offered her the position of the Regional Manager in charge of operations in at the headquarters in Washington D.C. In her place at the Lux Atlantic in Miami, Cynthia was given Lisa's vacated position of hotel manager.

After Lisa completed her last day at the Lux Atlantic, she contemplated what life would be like moving to a new state with a sense of dread. Her life had been built around solid routines in accordance to her work schedule and planned appointments. Now, she would be forced to adjust to a new environment and new routines. She reflected that after the rape of three years ago, her carefully scheduled life became one of such dependency, that Jackson used it against her on the plane to force her into submission. "I need to work on my impulsiveness." she thought as she took out her car keys.

Lisa approached her car and pressed the lock release button. In the glare of the driver's side window, she saw a man approaching her with a knife in his hand, walking stealthily so as to take her by surprise. For an instant Lisa paused and then pretended to continue opening her car door. At the last moment, she shifted the key in her grip so the ignition key was exposed like a weapon. Pivoting around, she stabbed the man in the neck with the key, using all of her strength. The man fell to the ground, his hands at his throat making guttural noises at her as the knife fell harmlessly on the ground beside him. Lisa kicked the knife away and reached into her car to grab the gun she had bought immediately after that fateful red-eye flight.

Looking at the attacker, she pointed the gun at him. In a quiet voice, she told him firmly "I'm not a victim anymore. I'm a survivor." For a moment, Lisa felt a thrill of triumph course through her. Suddenly, the voice culminating from all her nightmares echoed from behind her. "I'm counting on it, Leese." Lisa whirled around to face the demon that haunted her dreams. As if in slow motion, she saw Jackson Rippner, giving her the same dark smile she had seen so many times in her restless dreams, as he leveled his gun at her and pulled the trigger.


	4. A Nightmare Revisted

Lisa collapsed on the ground hitting her head on the hard pavement. "I'm dying." Lisa thought horrifically. After a moment, she realized there was no bullet wound. Jackson was wielding a Tazer stun weapon. Lisa struggled to move but found her bodily virtually paralyzed on the ground. She moaned at the pain the weapon caused at such a close range. She watched Jackson with a fear that she hadn't felt in a year. He was grabbing her purse, keys and gun throwing them in a duffel bag he had carried with him for the trip. Once done, he walked over to her and knelt down beside her. In a mocking tone, Jackson said, "Hey, Leese, long time, no see." Lisa fought back an urge to vomit as his face grew closer to hers. The hatred welling up in her was so intense, that she almost couldn't see straight and she once again struggled to regain control of her body.

Jackson smirked and said cuttingly, "Sorry Leese, but after the pen incident, I've learned never to underestimate you." Jackson put his fingers to her neck to study her pulse concerned slightly about the effect of the stun gun combined with her head hitting the hard pavement. Apparently, satisfied, he started to put his arms around her in an attempt to carry her to his car.

"Hey, do you need help?" a stranger's voice asked. Jackson turned around to see a middle aged man approaching with a concerned expression on his face. "Is she ok? Did she just collapse?" He asked. Jackson shook his head and said back to him "She'll be fine. I'm taking care of it." He said. The man gave him a suspicious glance and Jackson gritted his teeth at this unexpected interruption. He looked at his watch and realized he was already running late.

The man came closer and looked down at Lisa as she stared pleadingly at him trying to speak however her voice came out garbled due to the effects of the tazer. He looked back at Jackson and noticed the tazer attached to his belt. "Hey, hold it right there!" The man exclaimed as he reached for his cell phone.

Jackson made an instant decision. He grabbed the Lisa's gun was from his duffel bag and without hesitation, shot the man. Lisa gasped and struggled within her paralysis to move away from Jackson. She tried to scream. Jackson observed her coldly for a moment. "Sorry Lisa, but we really must be going." He grabbed her wrist again, instantly picking her up, carrying her to his black Mercedes and dumped her on the back seat. Grabbing her wrist he cuffed her to the handle of the back seat door. "Don't want to takes any chances, Lisa." He said as the metal snapped tightly down on her hand.

Lisa watched helplessly from the back seat as Jackson drove out of the parking lot and down the freeway. However, minute by minute, she felt herself regaining control of her extremities. The pain of hitting her head on the concrete pavement came in waves as she battled nausea and her own fear.

She struggled with the handcuffs as quietly as possible while watching Jackson as he seemed to be absorbed in listening to "Vivaldi's Four Seasons" which echoed on the stereo system all around her. Lisa managed to get the handcuff halfway off her wrist when she felt the car slow down. Her hand was bleeding from the cuts caused by the exertion and force to get the handcuffs off her wrist.

As Jackson turned around to her she casually covered up her mangled wrist with her other hand and proceeded to glare at him. "Why are you doing this to me?" He looked at her with a cold, emotionless expression. "He's just Evil." she thought. "What do you want?" she asked. He then proceeded to smile in a domineering way. "You." He replied as her face went pale. "Why?" She asked fearfully. He said, "Well, how could I possibly add it up for you, Leese." He sneered. "I warned you what would happen if you failed to listen to me and I'm here to mete out your punishment." Lisa crouched back against the backseat as he reached out to touch her face. "You impress me, Lisa. I knew after my mission failed that I wanted you, Leese."

Disgust showed on Lisa's face. "You belong to me." Jack affirmed with a malicious gaze as he observed her. Lisa couldn't hold it back anymore. She had bottled up all her hate and disgust with Jackson but not anymore. With all her strength she spit on him in contempt.

Her voice came out and Lisa for the moment felt a wave of pride that it was steady. "Don't you get it, Jack?" She said saying his name with all the resentment she could muster. "I hate you. I thought you were dead and I felt nothing because I hate you." Jackson started to speak. She cut him off. "Did you think that after what happened that I would have any inkling of feeling for you, Jack? You can hold me here but know this." Lisa continued confidently. "When I kill you and I will kill you, I won't look back." Jackson became enraged. Immediately, he slapped her hard, the strength of which caused Lisa's head to snap back and fall once again on the cushioned back seat. Turning around he wiped the saliva off his face and said in a caustic tone, "As you will learn Lisa every action has an equal or opposite reaction." Lisa felt her momentary sense of pride leave her with only a feeling of dread.

"You're supposed to be dead!" She muttered in terror. Jackson smiled. "Leese, please, with an organization as vast as the one I work for, someone like me never dies." He chuckled. "You have no idea Leese how powerful we really are."


	5. Escape to Nowhere

Jackson drove up to a fast food restaurant and started to place an order at the drive thru. In this momentary pause, Lisa made one last struggle to get the handcuff fully off her right wrist. At last, it gave way. Immediately, Lisa scooted down the seat close to the door as she forced the door open. Her feet hitting the ground, she ran with all her strength. Relieved that she decided to wear her platform shoes, she sprinted faster. Lisa saw that the area was virtually deserted aside from a small grocery store on the other side of the quiet parking lot. "If I could just make it inside," she thought as she ran.

Suddenly she felt arms encircle her waist as she was tackled and pinned to the ground in one brutal assault. She felt her already injured head and palms of her hand become torn apart on the rough asphalt. She cried out in pain and struggled, trying to turn around so she could use her knees to propel Jackson off of her. Jackson pinned her arms behind her back and grabbed the collar of her shirt yanking her up. He dragged her back to the car and pinned her against the door driving his knee into her rib cage. Lisa in a desperate attempt tried to scream while Jackson forced her to turn around to face him. He covered her mouth with his freehand and pressed his body against hers.

He said, "We can do this one of two ways." He whispered menacingly into her ear. "You can continue to fight me while your little fiancé will suffer the consequences or you can get back in the car, sit quietly and I'll forgive this little incident. What will it be Leese?" Lisa groaned in response and tried to look away but Jackson grabbed her chin forcing her to look at those pale, haunting blue eyes once again. "Are you ready to go back in the car?" He asked. She closed her eyes and nodded. "Good", he said. He grabbed her elbow and forced her into the passenger seat.

Shaking, Lisa looked up at him. In her mind, she thought, "He'll have to walk to the other side of the car to get in the driver's seat. I can try to run again." She knew no matter how much he threatened her; whatever he had in store for her at their destination would be ten times worse. Jackson started to close the car door and then paused. "On second thought," he said while grabbing a container of congealed fluid from his bag. Grabbing her chin, he forced her mouth open and dumped the contents of the fluid inside her mouth forcing her mouth closed, clamping his hand tightly over it so she couldn't spit it back at him. Lisa choked on the vile taste and struggled not to swallow any of the contents. Struggling to breathe against Jackson's hand, she was forced to swallow some of the fluid nearly gagging as she did. Within moments she felt like her limbs were getting heavy and without being able to prevent it, she succumbed to darkness.


	6. Resolutions

"Wake up Leese. We are almost there." A menacing voice said to Lisa sounding distant and muffled. The last thing Lisa remembered was being forced to drink a vile solution by Jackson who seemed to take a certain amount of pleasure in the task. Lisa tried to grasp her thoughts for a moment, "Was it just a nightmare?" She asked herself. Lisa felt languid and almost content gliding in and out of the murky, warm pool sleep offered to her. The voice which came earlier, she decided, was a remnant of a nightmare. "I'm just having a nightmare." She thought reassuringly to herself.

Attempting to turn over instinctively in her sleep, she felt like her bed was shaking for a moment. "An earthquake?" she thought as meaningless words drifted in and out of her consciousness. Then the insistent shaking stayed and as Lisa came out of her slumber, her muddled brain tried to absorb the fact that the nightmare was a reality. Jackson Rippner had returned to punish her for daring to rebel against him.

She opened her eyes slowly to him roughly grabbing her shoulder in the attempt to shake her again. "I'm awake," she said bitterly. Lisa felt lightheaded and nauseated as she turned her head to look out the window. The pain in her hands made her wince as she started to move her arms and fingers. Looking at her palms, she noticed that the deep welts she had were covered with gauze. She frowned, "Why would that bastard care?" She asked herself. The late afternoon sunlight that still flowed through all the windows seemed to increase the sensation of nausea. Her head still pounded from where she hit it on the cement. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and bent over to try to quell the urge to vomit in her seat. "Well, look who's up." Jackson said cuttingly. Lisa, her arms still clenched around her abdomen, turned her head to glare at him. "Oh Leese, I wouldn't have had to sedate you if you had just behaved. You know, you were never one to listen to me." Lisa groaned in response. "What did you give me?" She muttered. Jackson smiled sardonically. "Liquid versed. Really quite useful, isn't it Lisa?" Lisa turned her head away while Jackson continued. "My company has so many things at its disposal." He commented while he shook his head, chuckling. "There is just so much I get to teach you."

Lisa immediately turned her head back, "What do you mean by that"; she snapped gathering her strength and keeping her eyes locked on his. Jackson grinned, "All good things in time, Leese."

"Stop calling me Leese." She said bitterly. "Only my friends and family call me that." Lisa continued spitefully. "You don't qualify." She turned her around so her back was to him and looked out the window to try to get a sense of where she was. He reached out with one hand, grabbed her chin and forcefully turned her face so she was compelled to look at his hollow, blue eyes again. "You'll change your mind once you get to know me." He said purposefully. She yanked her chin out of his grip, feeling sickened. Pulling her knees to her chest, she hugged them silently praying she could be back at home with David. She never considered herself the religious type but she found herself closing her eyes and the prayers she uttered in childhood came back to her.

"_Now I lay me down to sleep,  
I pray the Lord my soul to keep  
and if I die before I wake,  
I pray the Lord my soul to take"_

She recalled how her father used to say that prayer with her every night before she went to sleep. How Lisa longed for childhood where things could be simple. She wanted a world in where rapists lurking around corners didn't exist. As a child you always thought nothing would harm you and that you were untouchable. After the rape, she didn't think there was a horror that existed that could surpass the trauma of that night. Then Jackson Rippner came into her life and she knew she was wrong.

A solitary tear went down her cheek as she huddled against the passenger door as far away from Jackson as she could get within the restraints of the car. She recalled how often she chided her father for his over protectiveness and his worry for her. She had thought it to have been so annoying when time after time he would call her in the middle of work to check in on her. Faintly she heard his voice say to her, "Leese, I know you don't like me asking but are you sure you are ok?" Lisa longed for it now. She longed for his over protectiveness. For all the times she had told others about being a survivor, at that moment, she felt utterly defenseless. "No," she thought to herself. "You can't think that way. Remember who you are. You survived that night a year ago against all odds. You will survive again. If there is ever a chance to escape, you need to take it." She said to herself firmly. In that moment Lisa came to a resolution that no matter what Jackson did to her, her soul and her mind was hers alone and that was something Jackson could not touch.

In her moment's resolution, she overtly looked around for anything in the car that could be used for a weapon. She knew her best chance to escape was before Jackson reached his final destination. In her peripheral vision, she saw resting at Jackson's side the tazer he used against her. She smiled inwardly and thought how it would be such irony to make Jackson endure the pain of being electrocuted as he so cruelly used on her. Looking at her environment outside, she noticed that they were on a highway out of the city. Homes were scattered around on both sides however the road seemed desolate. "It would make escape harder," she thought. Lisa knew she had to try.

Jackson turned the car to the right exiting the freeway to what looked like a private airport to Lisa. Her heart sank as he pulled up to an airstrip by a chartered airplane that reminded Lisa of the government plane Charles Keefe used from time to time. "I can't get on that thing." She thought. She examined the area seeing a field immediately to the right of the airplane and a bit beyond that she saw a multitude of trees. "I need to reach it," she thought. She glanced at the airplane and noticed a couple men deplaning and waiting by the stairway going up to the plane.

"Well, Leese, we're here." Jackson said with a morbid grin. "It's just like old times isn't it?" Lisa looked at him contemptuously. "I'm not getting on that thing." Lisa retorted. He looked at her sharply. "Lisa, don't make this more complicated then it has to be. Trust me; you don't want to fight me." Lisa looked back at him in disbelief. "Trust you?" She asked incredulously. "And, tell me, Jack, what have you done that is so deserving of that trust?" She asked maliciously. Jackson fell silent and looked at her icily. He yanked open the driver's side door and to Lisa's indescribable joy, she realized that in Jackson's haste he had forgotten to take the tazer with him. She made a move to stretch her arms and put her left hand around the instrument. Putting her finger on it, she hid the tazer at her side waiting for Jackson to come to the passenger side door.

Jackson yanked open her door and grabbed her right elbow in the attempt to propel her out of the car. Lisa tried to shake him off as she swung her feet out to step onto the tarmac. "I can walk," Lisa said sarcastically. Jackson grip remained like iron. "Well, I'd like to trust you Leese, but your actions speak to the contrary." He remarked. Lisa stood up with her left hand hiding the tazer at her side. In a matter of moments, she struck.

Lisa jammed the tazer onto his leg and pressed the ignition. In seconds Jackson fell to the ground, his body twitching from the shock of the electrocution. "Serves you right you bastard." She said as she turned and ran across the field.

Lisa heard the echo of voices behind her of the other men who were standing by the plane. Lisa kept facing forward pumping her arms and her bare feet hitting the grass not noticing any pain her feet might endure. The voices were farther away and Lisa felt hope. "I can outrun them." She thought. "Don't look back," she told herself. "That will only slow me down."

Lisa managed to reach the grove of trees and she treaded carefully into them. Her lungs were burning from the sprint across the field and she knew the men were still coming. Desperately, she looked around for a good hiding place. Moving forward she found one by a stream where a group of bushes against a small land rise provided a little shadowy dwelling. She stepped down carefully by the stream and hid herself in the cave like dwelling, hoping her clothes didn't show through the bushes which blocked her from the men's sight.

She heard their voices draw closer and grasped sentences that were being exchanged. "Rippner is going to write us up for this one." A gravelly voice sounded.

"Well, it's he's the one who should have been paying attention." A smoother voice responded. "The bitch only tried to escape twice. I warned him about getting a getting a recruit this way." The gravelly voice gave off a noise that sounded to Lisa like a combination between a chuckle and a snort. "Rippner is obsessed. She's the only thing he's been talking about since the agency brought him back. You think she'll be easy to control once we get her inside?"

The smoother voice said, "Doubt it. Rippner says she a hellcat. You have all your tranks with you?" The gravelly voice responded, "Yeah, but it will only take one." The smoother voice went on. "Yes, but no doubt, you might miss with her."

The voices of the men continued and through the bush, Lisa saw them walk past the stream in search for her. Her legs were getting cramped from crouching for so long in one position. Lisa stayed still though for the next 15 minutes while her muscles screamed in pain. It was after sunset and the temperature seemed to plummet. She shivered wishing she had her cell phone to call Cynthia or David. Jackson had timed this so perfectly for the day when she was going to pack up her Dad's house. Nobody would miss her for weeks. Lisa slowly crept forward surveying her surroundings. Beyond the grove of trees, in the distance, she could see farm homes. "Surely, they must have a phone" she thought. She stayed quiet for a minute, listening carefully for voices, footsteps or movement. There was nothing but the quiet rustle of animals scurrying around nearby.

Lisa finally left the safety of the bush and crept slowly forward to leave the grove. When she approached the edge of it, the open field expanded in front of her. She took a deep breath and started to sprint across the field. As the homes drew closer, she felt more and more hope. "I'm going to make it," she thought. "I'm going back home". She felt elated as the adrenalin kept propelling her forward.

Suddenly, Lisa felt something like a sting on the back of her thigh. Confused momentarily, Lisa reached down while she was running and yanked what felt like a small piece of piece of plastic and metal. She looked at what she pulled out in horror. "A trank dart!" she thought. "No, I must keep running. As long as he didn't hit a vein directly, I have a few minutes." She continued to run with all her strength. She felt the dizziness starting to creep up on her from the trank dart and she attempted to shake it off. As she approached closer to the homes, she heard a voice behind her, taunting her. "Miss me Leese? I missed you."

"That's not possible." She thought. But inside she knew it was. Jackson could move almost as softly as a deer. He knew never to leave traces of who he was behind and he certainly knew how to capture his prey. The tazer would only have knocked someone of his size out for a ½ hour at most.

Lisa felt compelled to turn around. He was 20 feet behind her running with ease. Lisa gasped and used all her strength to quicken her pace. Then, another sting like the one that entered her thigh hit her neck with more force. She collapsed face forward on the ground unable to stand after the 2nd trank dart hit her. She took shallow breathes as she tried to take out the trank dark from the back of her neck so she could stand again. As she reached for it, she felt Jackson grab her wrist and twisted it cruelly as he attempted to grab her other wrist to pin her hands behind her back. Lisa felt a surge of rage as she rolled over onto her back trying to fend him off with her other hand. She tried to use her legs to force Jackson off of her as he crouched downwards. He grabbed her other wrist with his hand and forced her onto her back as he straddled her legs, sitting on them to prevent her from kicking him.

"No, I can't make this easy for him," she thought as she made feeble attempts to struggle despite the drug that was coursing through her system. "Lisa, don't fight me." Jackson said holding her hands in a viselike grip twisting them in touch a way that she felt excruciating pain shoot up her arms. The pain brought sudden tears to her eyes as she groaned beneath him. She then heard a clinking sound as Jackson cuffed her wrists and legs together. He got up off her and grabbed the collar of her shirt pulling her up forcing her to face him. "Lisa, Lisa, Lisa," he said mockingly and then he grabbed her throat. "Where did you think you were going to go? Those homes are abandoned. This is our airport." He said menacingly. He squeezed tighter around her throat while Lisa gasped for air and tried to fight the cuffs that held her. "Please," she whispered pleadingly. "I can't breathe." She said between gasps. Jackson suddenly relinquished his grasp and Lisa fell to the ground. It was too hard to think and the dizziness seemed to consume her. Jackson had grabbed her arm again to force her into a standing position and then he put his arm underneath her legs and carried her back across the field to the airport. Unable to resist, Lisa felt so tired. In a semi-conscious state she saw Jackson's face against the night sky and she felt unable to grasp her disjointed thoughts. "It's still so cold", she thought. "Maybe in sleep, I won't feel the cold." Those were her last thoughts before she sunk under the weight of the tranquilizers.


	7. In Flight Conversations

_Lisa was back in the Miami International Airport running once again with Jackson Rippner's cell phone in her sweaty palm, attempting to avoid security. Her clothes damp from sweat, clung to her body causing Lisa to feel exposed to everyone in the airport. She turned around to survey her surroundings and to her horror saw Jackson standing there searching the airport quickly from his position. Their eyes met and for a moment they just stood there watching each other. _

_In horror, Lisa saw him remove a knife from his pocket and run towards her. Lisa tried to get her body to run yet stood prone, unable to get her rubbery legs to move from where she stood. "No", she said trying to reassure herself. "This wasn't how it went. What's happening?" She thought, panic stricken. Jackson had grabbed her around the neck shoving her against the counter of a nearby vendor, putting his knife against her throat. _

"_You'd thought you would escape me, Leese?" He whispered due to the injury to his throat. "I told you before, Lisa, I'm going to have to steal you." Lisa struggled against him in panic. He grinned wickedly. "You know I have never lied to you before, right Leese?" Lisa shook her head adamantly saying to herself "It didn't happen this way. I got away." She thought._

_The scene changed and she was in a restaurant with Charles Keefe and his family and her fiancé David Fry. She felt an incredible sense of relief as she realized that she was safe here in the restaurant with those she most loved. David was down on his knee displaying the engagement ring he had bought especially for her while Charles family clapped and cheered for the couple. Lisa smiled in her happiness and closed her eyes as she brushed away tears of joy. She felt the ring slide on her finger and she opened her eyes so she could give David a kiss._

_In shock, she realized David was no longer there and Jackson stood in front of her holding her hand while he finished putting the ring on her finger. Lisa was horrified as she tried to quickly yank her hand away, however Jackson gripped her hand harder and his fingers encircled her wrist as he said to her in a mocking tone, "Till death due us part, right Leese?" _

_Lisa turned to Charles Keefe and his family feeling horrified yet their expressions remained unchanged as they continued to clap their hands. Lisa screamed._

_The dream changed again and she was standing in front of her father's grave. The weather was ominous with gray clouds hanging overhead threatening the quiet of the cemetery. Lisa bent down and put the white roses she found in her hand on her father's grave. _

"_Leese, honey?" she heard a familiar voice say and Lisa turned to find her father standing next to her. "Back so soon?" He asked. Lisa turned to him slowly and whispered, "A part of me is always here." She looked at him puzzled. "Why are you here? I saw you die." She looked back at the grave. "I thought I did."_

"_Yes, Lisa you did." Her father reached forward and picked a rose out of the bouquet she put on his grave. He handed it to her. "A storm is coming, Leese. Are you ready?" Lisa looked at the sky. In the distance she heard the approaching sound of thunder. "The rain is coming soon." She muttered as she looked back at her father. "I hate the rain." She said looking down at the rose, examining its delicate petals. Her father put his hand on her shoulder_

"_Lisa you always hated me asking you this but are you ok?" Her father asked and looked up at the looming gray clouds. Lisa shrugged. "I don't know Dad. I think I'm in trouble" She said. "This storm will pass. Remember where you are safe. Focus on that." he emphasized. He took her hand and put it over her heart. "Here, the floods will not touch you." He smiled. The wind started gusting and Lisa could hardly keep her feet on the ground. "Keep your focus, Leese." He said again as he turned around and started to walk away. Lisa cried out after him, "No, Dad! Wait!" In response, he simply waved his hand as he continued walking out of the cemetery._

_Lisa watched him continue to walk away from her, and then before her eyes, Jackson emerged from the shadows. He grinned hollowly at Lisa and turned to follow her father down the path to the exit. "No!" she cried, but the word seemed to catch in her throat, as she tried to run after them but her legs felt rubbery and she collapsed on the grave, trying once again to scream._

Lisa's scream brought her out of the drug-induced sleep as she panicked trying to figure out where she was. She saw just white overhead and as her eyes re-focused as she realized she was looking at the ceiling of an airplane. She felt a sudden rumble of turbulence shake the small craft.

She remembered vaguely her last attempt to escape and the two trank darts that neutralized that attempt. Her body felt battered from the abuse she had suffered. She took a deeper breath and realized that beyond the superficial injuries, her ribs were probably bruised as well, if not worse. Lisa felt despair as she knew her opportunities for escape were becoming infinitely short.

She struggled to sit up on the cushioned airplane seat as the seat had been reclined all the way while she had slept. Hearing the clink of metal, she realized her right wrist was cuffed to the arm rest next to the window. Groaning from the pressure of the handcuff on her wrist, she tried to turn on her side.

"Have a good nap, Leese?" Jackson inquired, grinning at her apparent discomfort. He seemed to take a sense of enjoyment from causing her pain.

Turning around to look at him, Lisa glared spitefully. "Fantastic, how was yours, Jack?" she spat out. "Did you like the concrete as much as I did?" She asked sarcastically.

"Oh, very cute, Lisa." he said as he came closer to her. Standing over her he reached out and brushed a stray tendril of red hair from her face. Lisa tried to shrink away feeling bile creep into her throat as he touched her. "Get away from me." She said fearfully.

"Now, Leese, that's no way to talk to me." He said menacingly as he drew even closer to her and bent over her, resting his other hand on the arm rest of her seat. "We're practically family." He stated as he put his hand on her face caressing her cheek gently. "Don't worry Leese; I won't hurt you like that creep in the alley. I just want to get to know you better."

Lisa's mind was swimming in fear as the memory of that terrible night in alley came back to her swiftly. The rape of three years ago replayed instantly reminding her of how helpless she felt then. Instantly, she reflected on the words she said to Jackson right before she stabbed him in the throat.

"_That it was out of your control?" Jackson had asked somewhat intrigued after she had told him about the rape. "No." she said as the plane pulled into the jet way. "That it will never happen again."_

She had taken back her control then by stabbing him with the pen. She didn't have a pen now but she realized her legs were un-cuffed. With all the force she could muster, she drove her knee into his abdomen.

He fell to the ground gasping as the wind was knocked out of him. The two men, who had been chasing her in the grove when she tried to escape, came through the entryway with drinks in their hands. One laughed as he saw Jackson struggling to regain his breath on the ground. "Well, Rippner, you really asked for that one." He said in amusement. The other man glanced at his partner looking weary because of his partner's insult of Jackson. Clearly, Jackson was in charge.

Jackson recovered his breath and turned to Lisa feeling rage overcome him. He grabbed Lisa by her shirt wrenching her into a sitting position and slapped her hard across the face. Lisa was thrown against the glass of the airplane window by the momentum of the slap. She put her uncuffed hand to her cheek and looked back at Jackson in a gaze of pure loathing.

Jackson turned to the men who entered. "Sean, Mike, leave now." He said in a deadly tone. The men, clearly intimidated by Jackson left immediately.

"You never listen, do you Leese." He snarled at her. "You have to make this difficult yourself." He immediately wrenched her seat into an upright position. She looked away from him in disgust. Jackson leaned over and grabbed her chin forcing her to meet his pale, blue eyes again. "I don't want this to be complicated Lisa because the pain you feel now will be a walk in the park as opposed to what will happen when we arrive."

Lisa shivered in his grasp. "Scared, Leese?" He asked. Lisa closed her eyes and attempted once again to get control of her emotions. "What do you want with me, Jack?" She asked pointedly. "Your plan failed last time because of me and it will fail this time because you can't threaten me." She said cuttingly.

"Lisa, you have no idea who we are or what we are capable of." Jackson retorted. He laughed wickedly. "The whole reason why you're here is because of that particular failure." He paused for a moment. "I'm here to recruit you to work for us."

Lisa gasped. "Work for you?" She asked her voice filling with venom. "You mean, work for terrorists?" She continued. "This is a joke. I will never work for you." Her thoughts raced as she came to an ultimate conclusion. "You might as well kill me here." She said, shaking from terror and fury.

"Oh, Leese, you have us completely wrong." Jackson said shaking his head. "I work for the United States government." Lisa was stunned by this response. She shook her head in denial of this statement. "That's not possible." She uttered.

"But Leese, it is." He said chuckling. "I work for a division called DARPA." Lisa was confused. "DARPA?" She asked in a disbelieving tone. "I never heard of it." He continued forward, "Oh, I know you haven't heard of us Leese. Most American's don't except for the President and maybe the secretary of defense. It stands for Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency."

This statement horrified Lisa. She kept shaking her head and her shivering increased. "You're lying." She accused. "You're lying to me. Why would the government want to kill Charles Keefe?" She asked. "He works for the government and he's fighting terrorism." She proclaimed.

Jackson's laughter echoed in her mind. "Lisa, you never understood the bigger picture." He said. "Terrorism is so useful nowadays in making citizens compliant." Lisa felt nauseated by what he was about to suggest. "Fear is a well funded enterprise and it keeps people in line with the government. Charles Keefe was putting pressure on us and he was getting to close to our plans."

Lisa shook her head feeling numb suddenly understanding what he was implying. "The war in Iraq, the anthrax and the wire tapping. That was done by you." She said as she felt herself shaking in disgust. "What a smart girl." Jackson said pride fully. "Yes, September 11th, provided us so many useful opportunities. Where do you think the idea came from about the 'weapons of mass destruction'?" He asked snidely. "The real terrorists merely opened a doorway with September 11th and we keep the fear alive in most Americans which keeps them in line."

Bile rose in Lisa's throat as the all too familiar words came to her throat. "All my God." She whispered turning away. "No," she said in shock. "This can't be happening." Jackson grabbed her shoulder and forced her to turn towards him. "But it is Leese. We have another mission. Actually the same mission." He smiled cruelly. "But being that you didn't behave before, there are going to be some additions." Lisa shook her head. "No," she said. "I'm not helping you kill Keefe or his family."

Jackson's grin became wider. "Yes, you will. I think you will come to see our point of view. Remember, your wedding date?" He asked grabbing her hand with the engagement ring on it. "What?" Lisa asked as she tried to yank her hand back. "My wedding?" She said uncertainly.

Jackson continued. "Yes, your wedding Leese. You have so many distinguished guests that will be there and with all the new security in the hotel, we need your help." Lisa shook her head adamantly. "I told you before, Jack, I will never help you. You disgust me and even if DARPA is part of the government, you will always disgust me. I will never help you." She repeated. He narrowed his eyes. "Yes, you will Leese because the thing is; we want to take out Charles Keefe, his family and a few of his well meaning friends. And Leese, if you don't help, we have your hotel ballroom rigged with enough explosives to destroy the entire first floor."

Lisa felt dizzy as her terror increased tenfold. She dug her nails into her palm cutting the skin without even feeling the pain. "It's simple Leese." He said. "You will help us take out Keefe, his family and friends or your entire wedding party including your lovely hotel manager Cynthia and all the guests on that first floor face will die." He laughed as her face contorted in reaction to the monstrosity he was suggesting.

"You're insane." Lisa said numbly. "No, Leese, I'm a realist." Jackson responded glibly. "You alone get to choose who lives and who dies." He smirked. "After this is over you'll be just like me."

"No Jack," Lisa said staring right into his eyes. "I'm nothing like you. You are nothing but a monster and just a deranged psychopath who preys on people. I will never be like you and I will never help you, you sick bastard!" She said with all the strength she could muster as despair and disgust rang in her voice.

Jackson got up and stretched. "Yes, you will Lisa. Give it time." He smiled horrifically at her again and as he walked away from Lisa, he said gaily as he leaned against the entryway almost elegantly, "Buckle up Leese, we land in 20 minutes." He turned around and left leaving Lisa in utter fear, shaking in dread of what was awaiting her upon arrival to their final destination.


	8. Isolated

Lisa felt the wheels of the plane hit the runway roughly and as the plane taxied to a stop, her dread increased of whatever hellish unknown might lay before her. Looking out the window, she saw another small private airport desolate of the normal bustle of everyday life. Her heart was racing as she tried to imagine the terror that Jackson had in store for her. Despite her fear, she felt her stomach rumble telling her she hadn't eaten in the last 10 hours since she had been kidnapped. She shook her head. Better get hunger out of her mind. She knew that she couldn't let her captor's use any weakness to their advantage.

Jackson slid into the room and for a moment observed her carefully. Lisa, repelled by his presence, looked out the window. Jackson sat down next to her again.

"Well, Leese, we're here." He said calmly. Lisa refused to look at him or give him any sign of acknowledgement. Sighing, he took a key out of his pocket and removed the handcuff from her wrist. He grabbed a small duffle bag from the overhead compartment and dropped the bag on her lap. She glanced at him in surprise. "I thought you might want to get changed." He said. "Those clothes are really starting to smell."

Lisa opened the bag and found a basic pair of jeans and t-shirt. At the bottom of the bag were shoes, socks and a sweatshirt. "Fine." She said. "Let me use the bathroom." Jackson smirked. "Fine." He said. "Don't mess up the mirror in there." He said mockingly. "We just had it replaced." Lisa gave him a withering look, stood up and started to walk down the aisle. Jackson grabbed her arm and walked her to the small bathroom on the plane. "Sorry, Lisa. Wish I could trust you again." He said deftly and closed the door as she entered the small space.

Lisa looked around her and she saw that it was bigger in comparison to the restroom on the Fresh Air flight. She looked around to see if there was anything she could use as a weapon to her advantage and sighed in frustration as she realized that there was nothing available. Turning around, she saw that the bathroom even contained a small shower. Not knowing when she would be allowed to have a shower again, Lisa forced herself into the warm water, scrubbing her body hard with the soap provided in the shower. She washed her hair with the small bottles of shampoo that were on the counter and got out drying herself off.

The clothes Jackson provided were comfortable and in all she felt a bit better after being clean. She took a deep breath knowing that feeling wouldn't last long. Finally finished, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was bruised from where Jackson hit her and her neck was red from when Jackson had put his hands around her throat. She closed her eyes. "Oh, God, why me?" She thought. "What did I do to deserve this?" She asked herself. She muttered a single prayer. "God, please help me." She said pleadingly.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Jackson yanked the door open. "Times up." He said. "We need to go." He stated looking at her icily. "Hold out your holds." He ordered. Lisa shook her head stubbornly. Her thoughts were panicky. "I won't be able to escape if he cuffs me." She thought. She decided to plead with him. Letting tears well up in her eyes, she begged him, "Please Jackson"; she said using his full name to help dissuade him. "My arms hurt so much already. Could you just let me walk?" She asked beseechingly.

Jackson smiled that sickening, casual smile of his. "Lisa, what did I say about trust?" He asked derisively. Lisa felt the small well of hope she had built up vanish in an instant. She backed away from Jackson slowly knowing she was trapped. Her mind flashed back to the time Jackson had shoved her against the wall of the even smaller Fresh Air flight bathroom where he nearly strangled her out of pure rage for deceiving him.

Jackson's smile faded. "Don't make me come in there, Lisa." He said threatfully. At that moment, Lisa decided to take a chance. Using the full force of her body, she slammed herself against Jackson in an attempt to get past him through the doorway. She screamed out hoping someone would hear her. "Help me, please!" She screamed as Jackson wrapped his arms around her pinning her arms to her side. Hoping to at least to deafen him temporarily. She let out another shrill screen. Jackson pushed her inside the bathroom pinning her to the wall with his body. He clamped his hand over her mouth. Lisa groaned against him.

Jackson snarled at her, "Who are you screaming for Lisa? The police? The FBI?" He sneered at her. "We own them all, Leese." He viciously grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around so her face and stomach was against the wall. "I'm all you have Lisa between life and death. I remind you not to cast aside my affections so lightly." He warned as he grabbed her wrists in one hand and clamped the handcuffs down hard on her wrists with the other. Lisa forced back tears of pain as the handcuffs squeezed her wrists tightly. If she moved her hands at all, the metal of the cuffs bit through her skin and she winced in pain.

"Please Jackson." Lisa said helplessly. "Loosen them a little. Please, Jackson, you are hurting me." She pleaded. Jackson grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face him. "I'm hurting you?" He asked condescendingly. "Leese, you have no idea. Maybe you should have considered the consequences before planning your next little escape attempt." He continued sarcastically. He grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the bathroom and forced her to sit down in one of the chairs. He took out a second pair of cuffs and shackled her ankles together.

Helpless to resist, Jackson grabbed her arm and dragged her down the aisle. Lisa tripped on the metal chain of the ankle cuffs and started to fall. Without a word, Jackson caught her and picked her up carrying her down the steps of the airplane. The two men from the plane were already in the black Lincoln Town car as they approached. One of the men, Lisa identified as Mike, sat on the passenger side of the car. Upon seeing them, he immediately got out and opened the door for Jackson. Jackson roughly put her inside buckling her seat belt and then closed the door only to walk around to the other side of the car to sit down next to her. Lisa felt too drained to speak. She leaned against the window of the car door while Sean who was in the driver's seat started the car and drove out of the airport.

An hour passed in silence while Lisa tried to think about what to do. She knew how tight the security would be at the place they took her and that her only chance was to resist their methods of persuasion. For a moment, she thought of her family, her fiancé, and Cynthia. Cynthia was going to be her maid of honor at her wedding. Lisa remembered how excited she was when she announced her engagement to her. "Oh Leese", Cynthia had said. "You of all people deserve this." Lisa thought hard. How could she warn Cynthia? She couldn't let her die but Jackson's mission was impossible either way. She couldn't let Charles Keefe die either. She shook her head.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Jackson asked amiably. Lisa looked back at him and wondered how one person, who had once been so appealing when they first spoke, could now be so evil. "People will be looking for me, Jack." She said softly. "David and Cynthia will know I'm missing."

Jackson laughed. "Leese, give me some credit, won't you?" He asked derisively. "I know about your Dad's death, Leese. So sorry, by the way. But, you so cleverly planned to spend two weeks at his home away from the hotel and your fiancé." He shook his head in amusement. "Once I was alerted, I was on my way. He continued, "No one will be looking for you for at least two weeks. So we have plenty of time to get to know one another." He said sickeningly. "Just like old times, huh, Lisa?" He asked maliciously.

Lisa felt the tears that she had been struggling to hide, fall down her cheeks. Unable to wipe them away, they fell without restraint, staining her tee-shirt. Jackson watched her as she struggled to regain control of her tears. She turned to look out the window so that Jackson wouldn't have the pleasure of seeing her cry. Jackson reached over to her and turned her face towards him. With a handkerchief he pulled out of his pocket, he wiped away the remnants of her tears. Lisa jerked back from his touch.

He said, "It doesn't have to be this complicated, Lisa." In an almost gentle but firm tone. "You can save yourself a lot of pain by just letting go. Just stop resisting me Leese." Lisa turned her head away from him again horrified by the proposition and looked out the window once more watching the sunrise come softly upon the fields and trees around her.

"Hungry, Lisa?" He asked. "I know you must be. You haven't eaten in a while." He said matter of fact. As if on cue, Sean turned into a drive thru fast food place. Sean ordered the food without asking what Lisa's preference was which was fine with her and then handed some bags to Jackson in the backseat. Jackson removed his key again. He said menacingly, "I'm going to uncuff your hands so you can eat and I expect you to behave." He warned. He unlocked the cuffs and Lisa rubbed the damaged flesh. She ate in silence knowing that with her legs cuffed together, escape would be impossible.

After she was done, Jackson grabbed her wrists as she winced in pain as his fingers went over the cuts caused by the tightened metal cuffs. Without a word, he took out a first aide kit, grabbed an alcohol swab and started to gently dab at the broken skin. Lisa almost cried out in pain as the alcohol burned her skin upon contact with the cuts and she tried to pull away from him. Jackson just gripped her wrists more firmly until he finished cleaning the wounded areas. He replaced the cuffs on her wrists and to Lisa's relief; it wasn't nearly as tight as it was before.

"Sir?" Sean's voice echoed from the driver's seat. "What Sean?" Jackson replied. "Sir, we are almost to the destination. Ten minutes more." Jackson nodded. "Once we get there, Sean, take us to Unit 8." Sean nodded. "Well, Leese." Jackson said to her grinning sharply, "We are almost home."


	9. Interrogation

Lisa kept her hands clenched together trying to prevent the tremors that threatened to take over her body. She glanced quickly at Jackson. He was on the other side of the back seat casually leaning against the car door with his cell phone to his ear.

"Is it ready?" He was asking to the unknown person on the other side of the line. "No, I want to handle this myself." He said his voice sounding agitated. "Yes, I know that's the way it's usually done but I have a personal interest in making sure this is done correctly", he continued through clenched teeth. "Are you questioning me?" He asked warningly. His voice had a dangerous edge to it. Lisa noticed that the other person seemed to give up. "Good. We have an understanding." Jackson said. "Yes, two weeks. Talk to you then." He disconnected the phone and shook his head.

"Problems, Jack?" Lisa asked sarcastically, unable to resist the urge to irritate him. Jackson glanced at her coldly; his blue eyes captured hers with a look of menace. He then smiled aloofly at her. "Not to worry, Leese." He said casually. "Our new home is all set for your arrival."

Lisa's body betrayed her as she trembled slightly. She turned away from him and continued her gaze out the window. As she looked outside, the car made a turn and approached what looked like a guard station to Lisa. "Just like an army base." She thought to herself. The car drove up next to the guard station and Sean showed the guard his id. The guard seemed to point to the back seat and Jackson rolled down his window.

"Problems?" He asked, casting a withering gaze at the guard. The guard's face seemed to go pale. "No, sir." He said courteously. "Welcome back, Mr. Rippner." He said as he pressed a button in the booth to raise the gate.

The car sped forward passing four buildings that were scattered on each side of the road. "Office buildings?" Lisa thought to herself. She looked outside to see several people walking back and forth between buildings dressed in simple office attire. Lisa shook her head thinking, "This looks like a world unto itself." She mused as she saw gatherings of homes on different streets. They drove further down the road. She could even identify a medical facility as well as two restaurants, a gym and a library.

Jackson spoke to her. "Fascinating isn't it Lisa?" He asked. "This used to be an abandoned air force base and then DARPA took it over. We have so much more then what you have seen so far. I have so much to show you." He said purposefully. Lisa looked back at him. "It doesn't matter how much you have, Jack." She told him bitterly. "I just want to go home."

"Lisa, you really need to start letting things go." He said sharply as he continued. "You are home." He stated matter of fact. Lisa looked at him unwaveringly. "So you are just going to keep me here?" She asked him incredulously. "For how long Jack?" She asked fiercely. "Because I will never do that mission and I will never stop hating you." She told him adamantly. "You might as well just let me go and save yourself the pain and hassle!" She spat at him

Jackson gave her a brief, hollow smile and then grabbed Lisa's arm suddenly yanking her to him with such force, the seatbelt broke. Lisa cried out in pain from the burn of the seat belt which snapped across her abdomen. Jackson, his eyes enraged yanked her across his lap. She tried to push her cuffed hands against him but his strength, amplified by his sudden rage overwhelmed hers as he grabbed her hair yanking her head up.

Her eyes were swimming with tears of pain and she felt like several strands of hair were being torn from her head. Jackson had forced her face to be only inches away from his. "You don't get it Leese. You belong to me." She tried to protest but Jackson clamped his hand over her mouth. "You will never leave here." He said. "Once the mission is done, you are coming back here." She shook her head frantically. "Yes, you will Leese or your mother, Cynthia, your soon to be ex-fiancé and all your friends will suffer the consequences." He shoved her against the front driver's seat. "By causing my first mission for Charles Keefe to fail, you crossed the point of no return. I warned you on the plane." He smiled and began patronizing her. "You're smart Leese, but you never could learn to pay attention."

Jackson then shoved her back into her seat. Lisa crouched against the window, shaking terribly, trying as she has had to do so often, not to cry. Her body shook from his depraved words. "How could he speak about murdering entire families like it's nothing?" she thought. "How could he even expect me to help him?" She pondered.

The car approached a house to Lisa's immense surprise. The house looked like any other house in suburbs across America. It was two stories, made of brick with even a cobblestone pathway and a mailbox on the outside with the number 8 printed on its side. The same number also appeared on the front door this time in brass. The car stopped in the driveway and Jackson turned to Lisa. "Now Leese, I expect you to be a good girl as I take off your cuffs." He said in an almost gentle tone. "If you run, Leese, you should know that there is no way out. This base is surrounded by an electric fence with surveillance cameras and my people are everywhere." He continued. "You will never get out and I'm afraid I would only have to punish you for your disobedience." He said chiding her amiably. "So, are you going to be good?" He asked her condescendingly.

Lisa nodded stiffly, hating herself for the fact that she had no choice. Jackson got out of the car and walked to the other side where Lisa sat. He slowly removed her cuffs and grabbed her elbow to help her stand up out of the car. She blinked at the harshness of the sun trying to adjust to the sudden glare. Jackson turned to Mike and Sean who had just stepped out of the car. He nodded at them and said, "You can go home." They responded quickly with a brief, "Yes sir." and proceeded to walk down the street, leaving the car in the driveway.

Jackson still holding Lisa's elbow proceeded to walk her inside the house. Lisa frantically turned and glanced back at the car. "Maybe..." she thought."If I can just get the opportunity." Lisa knew how important it was to keep some fraction of hope alive as Jackson dragged her across the threshold of the house into the foyer. He quickly turned on the light switch which illuminated the foyer and living room area in light. Her eyes took in the simple modern furnishings of a couch, two easy chairs and a dinning room table with two rigid, wooden chairs pulled up on each side.

Turning around, Jackson closed the door and locked it from the inside. Confused, Lisa looked around the house and asked him, "What are we doing here?" Jackson turned to her and grinned. "Well, Leese, I prefer an informal setting." He said. "I'd like to start off on the right foot."

Lisa was taken aback by the friendly tone in his voice. Her mind struggled to figure out what was going on. "Come on Lisa." He said genially. "You must be exhausted from the trip. Why don't we sit down?" He said, leading her to the two easy chairs in the living room area. Lisa sat down across from him, feeling apprehensive. "Oh, come on Leese, relax." He said in an easy going manner. "I know I've been rough with you but you had me coming and going a few times, wouldn't you say?"

She felt baffled but she just shook her head. "Jackson, you kidnapped me. What did you expect?" She asked quietly. Jackson shook his head looking hurt. "Lisa, I'm sorry. But, it had to be done. I knew I had to steal you the minute after you stabbed me with the pen." Lisa looked at him in disbelief. "You were trying to kill me." She said as some uncertainty crept into her voice. "Leese, if I wanted to do that, I could have broken your neck at the top of the stairs. And my knife isn't just decorative you know." He smiled wickedly. "I may be a lousy shot but with a knife, I have more then decent aim."

Lisa thought back on the situation and the echo of Jackson's voice as he said on the top of the stairs after she had shot him in the abdomen, "We'll talk later."

Jackson came up to her. "Do you want me to show you?" He said in an alluring voice. Lisa gave him a repulsive glance. "No." She said sharply, turning her head. Jackson put his hand to her cheek and turned her face to him. "Maybe later." He said softly. Glancing down just below her collarbone, he saw the ever-present scar that stood out like a vivid reminder of that fateful night. "You know, Lisa, I can help you." He said.

"Help me do what?" she asked attempting to avoid looking into his eyes. "Help you find him." Jackson said. "I can help you take your revenge with dignity." He said calmly.

"You mean kill him, don't you?" Lisa asked shakily. "You imply that I would murder the man who raped me?" She questioned him in disbelief.

"Lisa, think for a moment." Jackson said earnestly. "Think about the power he took from you." Lisa trembled remembering the feeling of the knife against her throat, as the man pushed her against the wall. "I never fought back." Lisa whispered. Jackson kneeled down by where she was sitting and put his hand over hers. "I can help you fight back, Leese." Lisa closed her eyes as tears trickled down her cheeks. "This is my base Lisa. Our base." He said gently. "You and I can share that power and make those who hurt us pay. No one will ever hurt you again." He smiled and continued. "Just help me, Leese. I don't want to hurt you. Just tell me about the security in your hotel." Lisa started to shake her head. "Lisa, Lisa, I can make this painless for you. Just give me your security code and I will give you the means to punish your attacker." He took her hand. "We can do it together."

"No!" Lisa cried out yanking her hand from his. "I won't let you trick me." She snapped. She felt sickened because for a moment she felt tempted to give in. She shook her head frantically to try to eliminate the image from her mind. She had imagined herself killing the rapist. "No." She said to herself. "That would make me just like Jackson." She thought wildly. She scooted her chair back and stood up quickly feeling dizzy. She didn't know why she had allowed herself to let down her guard. To actually respond to Jackson. He was the enemy. She clenched her teeth and backed away from Jackson quickly.

"Oh Lisa, we are hardly done yet." Jackson said maliciously as he approached her. Lisa backed up against the wall. Jackson grabbed her by the wrist and proceeded to drag her upstairs to the 2nd floor. Lisa glanced around horrified to see the rooms with different medical equipment and various sharp instruments. He dragged her into one of the rooms which had a table with straps attached to it and a machine perched next to the table. In terror, she tried to grab the door frame to prevent him from dragging her into the room. He looked back at, his face expressionless, and with one furious yank, he broke her grip on the door frame. Lisa stumbled inside and he slammed her against the table.

"Do you know what this is?" He asked ferociously. Lisa trembled and shook her head, her thoughts racing. "How can he go from being so polite to being so cruel?" She thought fearfully.

"It's an electro-shock machine, Lisa." He stated forcefully. He smirked at her. "Usually, the patient is knocked out for this, Leese and you can only imagine how excruciating it would be to go through when you're awake." He snickered evilly. "But for you Leese, I'll make an exception." Lisa gasped in alarm at what he inferred. Jackson grabbed her elbow again and dragged her from the room. He then brought her to a small windowless room that had no furnishings and just a light bulb to illuminate the room. "Think about what I said, Lisa." He said in an ominous tone as she wildly tried to break free from his grip. Jackson slapped her across the face and put his hand around her throat. "We'll talk again later, Leese and pick up where we left off." Smiling cruelly, he relinquished his grip on her throat and pushed her through the doorway, then closed and locked the door.


	10. A question of Control

Lisa huddled in the small, windowless room, her arms wrapped around her knees. She tried to take slow, deep breaths as nausea overcame her. She tried to quell the urge to vomit detesting more then anything for Jackson to see any reaction from her. She had been in this room for hours or maybe even a day. Lisa didn't know fore sure. The light bulb cast a harsh glare around the small room making it impossible for Lisa to sleep. Her stomach grumbled from hunger. She hadn't eaten since that terrible fast food meal in the car.

"Is it day or night?" She wondered. Day and night were all one here and time didn't seem to exist. The room let in no sound aside from Lisa's movements. She wasn't even certain where the door was. It seemed like the walls merged into one distinct color of gray. Looking up at the light bulb, she wished she could wrench it off its socket so she could at least escape into her dreams but the bulb was locked within a cage to prevent such attempts. She had already looked around for a light switch to find nothing.

Suddenly, Lisa saw movement in her peripheral vision. She screamed and turned around suddenly to find the source of the movement to find nothing there. Her heart racing she stood up and examined the entire room. The room was empty. She sat back down again and clutched her head within her hands. She had thought she had seen multiple spiders. She let out a shudder. She had always hated spiders and sometimes even at home, in bed, she sometimes had caught herself thinking there was one on the ceiling. David had laughed at her saying that the light emanating from her reading lamp could play funny tricks on her eyes.

"David." Lisa thought with longing. "I miss you so much." She pictured him at home with her. It was just another morning and they both had breakfast. He insisted on cooking her Belgian waffles after her Dad died, the day of the funeral. She had been somber and quiet since the day of her father's passing. That morning she woke up to the smell and found him using the waffle iron. "Sweetie," He protested. "This was going to be a surprise. I wanted to give you breakfast in bed." He said pretending to pout. She had wrapped her arms around him then and they held each other fiercely. "Thank you." Lisa had whispered to him.

Lisa could no longer control her trembling. As she strived to take deeper breathes, she felt like the room had suddenly run out of oxygen. She collapsed on her side terrified, as her breaths became shallower. Her mind began to flash images that to Lisa seemed to appear right in the room with her. In one terrifying moment, she saw her rapist from three years ago as he bent over her, knife in his hand grinning lustfully. Lisa gasped and backed away. Then the image changed as she saw Jackson Rippner appear in the room playing with the pen she had shoved in his throat a year go. He smiled icily as his blue eyes captured hers with frightening intensity. "No." Lisa muttered at him. "Go away." She said. The image of Jackson leered at her and advanced, pen in hand towards her. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people, wouldn't you say Leese?" He asked mockingly.

Lisa closed her eyes and huddled against the wall. "No, go away." She said horrified. "Please, go away." She begged him. "Leave me alone. I just want to go home!"

She opened her eyes. Jackson was gone. Lisa started to cry feeling like she was losing her mind. Suddenly, the image of her father appeared. "Dad?" She asked. Her father crouched down next to her. "Keep your focus, Leese", he said smiling casually at her.

"Dad! Please help me!" She pleaded. Her father shook his head. "The storm is here Leese. Just hang on tight." Lisa nodded, looking up at her father. "I'll hang on to you, Dad." She said. Her father stood up and smiled down at her. "That's my girl." He said proudly. Suddenly, Lisa saw Jackson's image rear up behind her father with a k-bar in his hand. He raised it up to plunge it into her father's back and at the same time put his finger on his lips indicating to Lisa to be quiet.

"No! Dad look out!" She screamed but Jackson had stabbed him and her father fell forward to the ground lifeless in front of her. "You killed him!" She cried out at Jackson. He grinned evilly. "I wanted him to see what I was doing to you first." He said and dropped the knife. "I had to steal you Leese. You belong to me."

"Bastard!" She screamed, standing up. "I'll never belong to you." She yelled as she flung herself at Jackson preparing to attack him. Jackson and the body of her father disappeared and Lisa unable to stop herself rammed into the opposite steel gray wall of her cell, banging her head against the concrete. She fell back on the floor, dazed as she watched the ceiling and the light bulb spin. She couldn't get her eyes to refocus. As she watched, she thought idly, "At least the scenery is changing."

A small part of her heard a door open and she saw Jackson staring down at her with a mixed look of annoyance and concern on his face. He seemed to be talking quietly to her but she couldn't pick up all the words and then she heard, "What the hell did you do to yourself?" He asked. She looked at him in disbelief. "You killed my father." She said adamantly. "I just saw you kill him and then you disappeared." She struggled to get up. "Where did you take him?" She demanded.

Jackson shook his head and with one hand kept her prone on the floor. "Nowhere Lisa. Your father died weeks ago, remember?" Lisa struggled to bring the memories back to the surface. "You killed him again." She muttered. Jackson was silent, his face resolute. He picked her up carefully and carried her downstairs, laying her down on the living room couch and then walked into the kitchen.

Lisa's eyes was struck again by daylight flooding through the living room windows as she closed her eyes and groaned. Her head ached terribly and her mouth felt dry. Jackson came back into her field of vision with an ice pack, water and aspirin. He handed her two aspirins and a glass of water and gently helped her sit up so she could take them. As she lay back down, Jackson applied the ice pack to her temple. She groaned as the ice made the initial contact with her skin.

"Sorry to have to do this to you, Lisa." He said, his gentle facade returning. He took a seat next to her. "It doesn't have to be this way." Lisa glared at him. "Why did you bother coming in at all?" She asked cuttingly. Jackson smiled slightly. "I believe it's time for you and I to have that talk again." He stated.

Lisa felt her headache starting to dissolve and she sat up slowly. "Talk about what?" She asked innocently. "Oh, Lisa," Jackson said. "Why do we have to play these games? I know you're smarter then this." He admonished her. He got up and started to walk to the kitchen again. "Hey, Leese, are you hungry?"

Lisa bit her lip refusing to let him see any weakness in her. Her stomach however gave a rumbling protest betraying her silence. "Well, Leese, seems like you are. Now, what would you like to eat?" He asked. She shook her head refusing to speak.

"Oh Leese, do you have to be so rude. Look what I have here." He said holding out a plat of steaming ravioli. "I know this is your favorite as well as scrambled eggs." She looked at him apprehensively. "This is a trick." She said.

Jackson laughed. "A trick?" He asked in an amused tone. "Lisa, I never lied to you and I don't intend to start. Now, I'm perfectly willing to give you this excellent meal if you answer me a question first." Lisa looked up at him, momentarily confused. Jackson continued. "I want your security code for the hotel." Lisa felt her stomach shrivel inside. "No." She said firmly. "I'll never tell you."

Jackson sat down across from her. "Sure, Lisa, whatever you say but you should know; only good girls get fed." He shook his head. "You aren't playing by the rules. Oh well, I guess it will just be me eating tonight." He said as he smiled coldly at her. He picked up the fork and started eating the ravioli while Lisa, dizzy with hunger watched him in despair.

"No." She told herself. "Don't let him win." She resolved. She closed her eyes and tried to refocus. "Think of Dad." She thought to herself. "Concentrate on David."

"Well, Lisa, since you aren't hungry, I guess it's time to go back to your room." He said firmly. Lisa felt like she was going to scream. She took a deep, hitching breath and faced him. "I need to use the bathroom first." She said.

He cast her a cool glance. "Is that an order or a request? Because, Lisa I do make the orders around here." He stated. Lisa shuddered. "Now what do you say?" He asked readily.

Lisa hated herself for what she was about to say. "Jackson, please, may I use the bathroom?" She said in disgust. "Of course, Leese." Jackson replied. "You see, that wasn't so hard." He said. He grabbed her elbow and escorted her to the bathroom. "Two minutes." He said firmly and closed the door.

Lisa surveyed the bathroom desperately for a weapon but Jackson had been meticulous as always. "I just need to grab his keys." She thought to herself. "That is my best shot." She hurriedly used the bathroom and was just barely finished washing her hands when Jackson pulled the door open and grabbed her by the elbow again. "Let's go." He said taking her back up to the dreaded room. Lisa heard her stomach grumble again as a reminder she hadn't eaten since yesterday. Jackson glanced at her. "Don't worry, Leese. Even with your bad behavior, if you play nice in your room, I'll give you an energy bar later." He pulled her to the entrance of the cold gray room again. "It tastes terrible but what do they say? Isn't hunger the best seasoning?" He asked as he shoved her into the room. The door clicked behind her.

Faced in her isolation again, Lisa decided to take the time to meditate so she could keep her mind focused. She started to count her breaths softly to herself. After that she focused on saying a word over and over again in her mind. She remembered what the doctor told her almost a year ago when they were starting to treat her for insomnia. "Remember Miss Reisert," He had said "If you close your eyes and clear your mind, your brain will be getting rest anyway just as if you are asleep." He assured her.

Hours passed and she heard the door open. She opened her eyes and glanced at Jackson. "What?" He said sarcastically. "Daddy isn't running around in here." He asked maliciously. She looked away from him. "Leese, I brought you your nutrition bar." He tossed it at her. "Eat it now."

Lisa looked back at him and smiled. "I don't think so Jack," she responded sharply. "But thanks anyway." She added with sarcasm dripping in her voice.

Jackson's gazed at her ferociously, his blue eyes watching her like daggers. "Lisa, that wasn't a request. It was an order." He stated firmly. Lisa looked back at him mildly. "And what are you going to do Jack? Force it down my throat. I'd rather starve." She said feeling triumphant finally. "This is the one thing I can control." She thought to herself. Jackson's eyes filled with fury. He moved towards her and then stopped himself.

"Fine Lisa, whatever you say." He said back to her. "I know you'll get hungry eventually. You won't be able to resist it. Don't try playing any games with me Leese." He told her dispassionately. He gave the bar a kick towards her and left the room. Before he closed the door, his voiced echoed into the quiet of the room. "Nighty, night, Lisa!" He said as he closed the door and locked it leaving Lisa to face another 9 hours in a room of silence with only her racing thoughts for company.


	11. Breaking Resistance

Lisa looked at the gray walls of her isolated prison plaintively. It had been four days since Jackson had brought her to this prison and the feeling of helplessness pervaded her mind. Despite her meditational exercises, the hallucinations from being isolated were getting harder to control. Lisa also felt weakened by her refusal to eat any food that Jackson had brought to her.

She shook slightly remembering the first two days and the fury on Jackson's face when the nutrition bars were left unopened on the floor. He had dragged her to one of the stiff wooden chairs in the living room and forced her to sit there upright for hours on end until finally, Lisa had passed out from the pain. She woke up to him shaking her shoulders and she looked at his blue eyes with a spiteful glare. "Nice way to engender trust, Jack!" she said acerbically and then promptly fainted again.

Lisa smiled remembering the incident. She had woken up to find herself in the isolated room again but she couldn't help herself but laugh at his frustration of her resilience. It was the first laugh she had experienced since Jackson had taken her. Inside that room, she laughed so hard, she couldn't stop as her laughter subsided into tears. At that time, she had cried because the startling realization hit her that she couldn't hold out forever. Eventually, he would break her. It was only a matter of time.

Lisa woke up from a restless sleep on the cold, concrete floor. Each day, she was only able to sleep for a matter of hours. Wisps of dreams she couldn't grasp entered her mind and as she woke up, were gone. Lisa stared up at the gray ceiling overhead and she attempted to sit up. In shock, she realized she couldn't. Lisa felt weak while her legs and arms felt like rubber which refused to support the weight of her body. It had been four days or more since she eaten and she couldn't remember how long it had been when Jackson had given her water. "Probably a couple days," She thought listlessly.

She knew resistance like this was a double edged sword. In her weakened state, she didn't have the ability to fight Jackson and escape but this was the only means she had right now in the struggle for control.

Suddenly, she heard the door open. Jackson stepped through the door and leaned against the wall casually, his arms folded. He looked down at her as if in deep thought. Lisa looked at him passively, unable to move from where she had collapsed the day before. "Those blue eyes," She thought to herself as her mind drifted. "How can anything that beautiful be so ugly at the same time?" She asked herself.

Jackson seemed to come to a decision. "Get up." He said as he started to move to the door. Lisa, unable to comply simply stared back at him. "Leese," He started. "What did I just tell you?" She continued to gaze at him mutely. He sighed and walked over to her. Grabbing her elbow, he pulled her up but to his immense surprise, she didn't struggle. She hung limply in his grasp to weak to move or protest against him.

Her head started to feel like it was floating and for a second, she thought to herself, "Am I dying?" While Jackson attempted to drag her out of the room, a gray mist clouded her vision while she felt a distant buzzing in her ears. She felt Jackson take her other arm in an effort to shake her awake but darkness swam in fast as she collapsed against him.

The smell of alcohol infiltrated her nostrils as she slowly became conscious. Her eyes fluttered for a moment as she tried to take in her surroundings. She was in a room that was completely white lying on a stiff mattress. Her ears were still ringing as she tried to determine where she was. She surveyed the room and saw briefly to her side a nightstand table filled with medical equipment. In a flash of memory, she remembered when Jackson had dragged her up the stairs and showed her the room with the electro-shock machine and she felt her mind scream. "No!" she thought. "I can't let him do that." Despite the fact that she was still weak, she felt a little of her strength return as she attempted to struggle to get up and in process tore out the IV that was attached to her arm.

Lisa grabbed her arm which bled steadily from the disconnected IV. She propelled herself out of the bed finding herself in a hospital gown. In the background, she heard an alarm go off. "The IV must have triggered it when I pulled the needle out," She thought. Lisa ran to the sole window in her room and struggled to open it. As she did, arms wrapped around her from behind and Lisa screamed. "No, Jack, please don't hurt me." She cried desperately. She struggled harder as she heard Jackson curse in frustration.

He dragged her back to the bed and pinned her down on the mattress holding both her wrists over her head as he straddled her legs, pinning them down with the weight of his body. "Damn it, Lisa!" He said loudly. "Stop it. Don't fight me." He said.

Lisa started screaming shrilly. "Get off me. I'm not letting you touch me with that thing. You can't electrocute me. Please, Jack, you don't have to do this."

Jackson clamped his hand over her mouth forcing her head still. "Listen, Leese, I'm not doing that right now." He sighed and grabbed the IV bags and showed them to her. "For the next few hours, you will lie here quietly until these are finished." He said pointing to the bags. His face twisted. "The next time you refuse to eat, I'll take infinite pleasure in shoving a feeding tube down your throat." He smiled coolly. "Have you had one Leese? I hear they are terribly uncomfortable, but that choice is up to you, Lisa." He slowly removed his hand from her mouth. "So, are you going to fight me, Leese?"

Lisa bit her lip and slowly shook her head. Jackson nodded approvingly. "Good girl." He said. With quick fingers, he bandaged her injured arm and reattached the IV to her other arm. He then grabbed a chair and sat down next to her bed. "So, Lisa, feeling up to have a chat once more?" He asked in a genial tone. She looked the other way, feeling dizzy once again. As seconds ticked by the feeling increased. "What's going on with me," She thought fearfully. Still, as time went on, she felt her fear starting to trickle away and her body felt so relaxed.

"Lisa," Jackson's voice came again. "What is the security code to the hotel?" His voice continued. "Come on Leese. You know the answer. Tell me." He demanded.

"Security code," Lisa mumbled. She wondered how she could feel so dizzy as well as relaxed yet excited at the same time. "Excited about what?" She asked herself. She couldn't keep track of her thoughts as they seemed to rush forward and recede at the same time.

"Yes," Jackson said smoothly. "Lisa, you can tell me. I'm here to help you. To protect you." He said, his voice taking on a calm, hypnotic edge. Lisa looked back at him and suddenly she didn't see Jackson anymore. Jackson's face had morphed in front of her eyes and David stood there in front of her.

"David," She said smiling at him in relief. "You're here to save me. Jackson was trying to make me answer questions about the hotel." She said worriedly. She saw David smiled at her and took her hand. Lisa felt so safe in that moment. David would take her home, far away from Jackson Rippner. He would never find her again. "David," she said pleadingly. "Take me home, please." She begged.

"Soon, Lisa." David replied. "What was Jackson asking you?" Lisa shook her head as tears welled up in her eyes. "You're safe with me sweetheart. I need to know so I can protect you." Lisa nodded in ascent. "He asked me what the security code was for the hotel." She replied reaching her other hand to touch David's face. "Oh, David." She said. "I missed you so much."

She felt David squeeze her hand gently. "Lisa, you need to tell me the security code so I can warn the hotel. It's the only way, honey." He said as she looked around nervously. "What if Jackson hears me?" She asked.

"I will take care of Jackson," He said reassuringly. "I am always going to be here for you, Lisa." Lisa nodded and blinked away tears. "After this, I can go home" she thought. She mumbled to David, "The security code changes everyday. I have to log on to the hotel computer to find out."

"Thank you, Lisa." David replied gazing down at her. In front of her, his eyes changed colors from the warm brown of David's eyes to pale blue. She looked at him feeling an alarm go off in her mind. "What's going on?" She thought. "David?" She asked. "What is happening?"

"Nothing Leese." He replied and with horror before her eyes, she observed David's face melting away to be replaced by Jackson's face. Feeling bile in her throat, she tried to yank her hand away but Jackson gripped her wrist hard. "I can't tell you how proud I am Lisa. I love playing these games with you. You are a worthy opponent but you know, Leese, in the end I always win." He bent down to her so his face was close to hers and he seized her other wrist pinning it to the mattress. "Don't I deserve a victory kiss, Leese?" He asked tempestuously. She turned her head away from him desperately trying to avoid him as he forcibly grabbed her wrists in one hand and her chin in the other. Brutally, he kissed her forcefully while Lisa struggled in his grip. The feeling of his lips on hers filled her with so much rage and repulsion that nausea gripped her stomach once more.

Finally, Jackson let her go and Lisa unable to quell the nausea inside her turned to the edge of the bed and vomited on the floor. The rape once again flashed through her memory and Lisa loathed the fact that Jackson had brutally used her once again. "I have to get away from here." She thought. "I will get away." She said to herself with determination.

"Thanks for the quickie." Jackson said echoing his comments on the Fresh Air flight bathroom. He smiled wickedly. "Don't worry Leese. We'll save the best for last once this mission is complete." He glanced at the floor. "I'll have someone clean that up in a few minutes. You've been such a good girl, Lisa. I think you deserve a treat for good behavior."

Lisa shuddered as he left the room and locked the door. She hadn't meant to give up yet but Jackson was done playing around. She knew it would just be a matter of time before she would be unable to resist Jackson's methods. "If I don't escape soon," She thought, "He'll break me and escape will be meaningless." Closing her eyes, a plan started to form in the back of Lisa's mind.


	12. Escape

Lisa laid in the medical bed contemplating a plan that was forming in her mind. Glancing at the tray next to her bed, she saw a bottle of solution, which was three quarters full. Looking at the label of the bottle, she realized it was Phenobarbital. She shook her head and muttered "Bastard!" under her breath. Gazing at the IV, Lisa grabbed the medical scissors lying on the tray while standing up and rolled the IV stand over to the sink. Slow she cut a small hole in the IV bag causing the fluid to pour out. She held it over the sink, smiling at her small success.

Once the IV bag was empty, she returned to her bed and looked over at the medical tray. Noticing a few boxes of disposable syringes, she instantly grabbed a syringe as well as the bottle of Phenobarbital. She filled the plunger carefully draining nearly half the bottle of the sedative. She then heard footsteps outside her door. Quickly, she threw the empty bottle of Phenobarbital into the drawer of her nightstand and carefully hid the syringe in the pocket of her thin robe that Jackson had allowed her to wear.

Forcing a look of indifference on her face, while trying to breathe slowly to lower he racing heart beat she watched Jackson as he entered the room. He nodded approvingly at the drained IV bag. "Very good, Leese." He said in a cavalier tone. Expertly, he removed the IV from her wrist. "So, you are a doctor, now, Jack?" She asked snidely. "I'm a man of many skills, Lisa." He said while bandaging her wrist over the puncture wound.

"And of those skills include manipulation by using drugs on me?" She asked sarcastically. Jackson shook his head. "Lisa, you had to make things complicated. You forced my hand." He reached over and put his hand gently underneath her chin raising her head to meet his piercing blue eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you Leese. I just want you at my side and now, you will never leave me."

Lisa looked at him coolly. "So, Jack, since you want me and all, do you love me?" She asked. Jackson paused as if in deep thought. "Come on, Jack. It's really a simple question. You should know. Do you love me?" She asked again. Jackson gazed at her. "I think so, Leese. At least, it's the closest to love I've ever felt."

Lisa glared at him and wrenched her head from his hand. "Jack, you can't think. You know when you love someone and Jack, if you loved me even remotely, you would let me go. If you loved me, you wouldn't be doing this. You wouldn't be forcing me to participate in a murder by trying to brainwash me." She turned her head back in his direction. "Just let me go, Jack." She pleaded. "Please let me go. You know I can never love you." She said firmly.

Jackson stood still for a moment as his eyes became cold. Then his gaze lightened as he grabbed Lisa's arm and yanked her out of the bed as she gave a cry of pain. He wrapped his arms around her pinning her arms to her side and once again forced his lips on hers. She struggled to break free of the kiss but one of his hands went behind her head holding her neck still.

Bile once again surged up in her throat as tears welled up in her eyes. With his lips on hers, she struggled to breathe. He finally let her go and she collapsed on the floor gasping rubbing her hand across her mouth. She looked up at him and stared at him angrily. "That was great Leese." He smirked. "You know, it's because I love you that I can never let you go." He said firmly.

He reached down and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the room to the downstairs bathroom. Shoving her inside, he said, "Time to get cleaned up Lisa. I promised you a treat." Then he closed the door.

Lisa was shaking in fury and disgust. Desperately, she wondered if she would ever be strong enough to fight back against him. Her only hope seemed to be when she caught him off guard. She started to rinse out her mouth with the water from the sink trying to get rid of the remnants of that forced kiss. "I can never let it happen again." She thought to herself. "I just can't no matter what I have to do."

She got into the shower and spent 30 minutes scrubbing herself hard. She felt so dirty from the pervasive filth Jackson had her endure that she felt she would never be clean enough. Finally, she stepped out of the shower, put back on the hospital gown and robe. Remembering the syringe in her pocket, she thought, "I just have to wait for the right time." She said to herself.

She opened the door to the bathroom and stepped into the living room. Jackson was seated languidly on the easy chair as she stepped into the room. "No." He said. "I don't think that will do at all." He continued, upon observing her appearance. He grabbed a dress bag on the seat next to him, stood up and handed it to her. "Put it on." He said forcefully. Lisa looked at the dress in the dress bag. It was entirely in black, cut to the mid thigh with tiny spaghetti straps. "No, I can't." She said hopelessly. "Jackson, please don't make me wear this."

Jackson walked over to her, and took her arm. He propelled her back into the bathroom. "This is my house, Lisa. In my house, you will do what I say and if you don't put it on then we just might test out the electro-shock machine today. Wouldn't that be fun, Leese?" He asked. She paled at the suggestion and then nodded quietly. Jackson closed the door locking her in. "Five minutes." He said commandingly.

Lisa trembled as she put the dress on. It was incredibly short on her and she felt almost naked in it. She closed her eyes and muttered to herself, "He'll pay for this." She tried with her hands to force the dress further down her thighs. The dress wouldn't comply and she shivered. She quickly grabbed the syringe out of the robe of her hospital gown and hid it within her palm.

Jackson came in and his eyes lit up as he saw her. "You look beautiful Lisa." He said appreciatively. He handed her a bag. "Here are matching shoes and a coat for the evening. Put them on. I expect you to be ready to go in five minutes." Lisa saw that Jackson had already changed into a navy blue suit and tie giving off a look of casual elegance. She quickly bent down and slipped the heels on and then put the coat thankfully over her dress while subtly slipping the syringe into the coat pocket. Jackson grabbed her elbow and escorted her outside.

She relished being outside, feeling the cool breeze against her skin. She had been trapped in the house for days feeling suffocated in the windowless room she had previously occupied. He took her to the passenger side of the car door and opened it for her. Lisa sat down obediently. "Wait." She said to herself. "Just wait", she thought. She glanced at the back seat carefully and to her surprise saw the duffle bag that Jackson had initially stuffed her purse and gun into.

She looked away immediately and down at her lap. She didn't want there to be any indications to tip him off. Jackson got into the driver's seat and started the car. Without hesitation, he drove towards the exit of the base. He quickly flashed his ID to the guard and then proceeded down the road where he turned onto the dark two lane highway. Lisa glanced around at the scenery. "It's perfect." She thought seeing fields and trees. She stuck her hand into her pocket and wrapped her fingers around the syringe. Carefully casting a quick look at Jackson, she noticed the vein at the side of his neck. "It's now or never." She thought. Finger on plunger, she attacked at once.

She threw her weight towards Jackson, catching him off guard and immediately shoved the needle directly into his neck expelling the medication. Dropping her grip on the needle, she instantly grabbed the wheel as the car started to swerve off the road. She managed to pull the vehicle off the road into the field by putting the car in neutral and waiting for it to coast to a stop. Jackson had been immediately rendered unconscious by the heavy dosage of the Phenobarbital she took from her room. Feeling triumphant, she opened the driver's side door and shoved Jackson out of the car into the field at the side of the road and she slid over to the driver's seat. She grinned at Jackson's prone figure. "Well, Jackson can't say it's been nice knowing you. Burn in hell!" She said elatedly. She closed the driver's side door, put the car into drive and headed down the highway. Lisa opened the glove compartment and felt immense relief to find a map in there. Glancing at it, she realized she was just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. Quickly, she figured out how to get to the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas and she dropped the map onto the passenger seat. "I'm free." She thought to herself as she headed to the airport taking deep breaths. "I'm free." She said once again, relishing her well earned liberty.


	13. On the Run

Lisa kept glancing behind her expecting any moment to see headlights in her rear view mirror. "I'm being paranoid." She thought to herself. She was aware that a high dose of Phenobarbital as the one she gave Jackson Rippner would leave him unconscious for hours. "I've had first hand experience with that." Lisa muttered, thinking back on the time that Jackson had so insidiously put Phenobarbital in her IV.

She was fearful about the repercussions of the information he had tricked her into giving him. Despite the fact that Lisa resisted him as much as she was able, the fact that he had broken down some of her walls she had so vigorously kept up was greatly alarming to her.

Seeing the lights of Las Vegas approaching, Lisa smiled joyfully. It was such a blissful feeling being free that Lisa relished in the simple pleasure of enjoying the stark beauty of the city lights as they offset the night sky.

Within minutes, Lisa found the exit for the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas and parked her car in the short term parking lot. She grinned at the thought of Jackson receiving a hefty charge for his car being there for perhaps several days. "I should have killed him though." She said to herself. Shaking her head, she knew she wasn't capable of it. Despite her experiences, she learned one thing. Lisa never wanted to be like Jackson. "If I killed him, what would separate me from being a murderer like him?" She asked herself knowingly.

Running from the car with her retrieved purse from the duffle bag, she dashed into the airport and went up to the United Airlines ticket counter. "What is the soonest possible flight available leaving for Miami?" She asked the ticket agent glancing at the clock nervously.

The ticket agent smiled and glanced at her computer. "We have a red eye leaving in thirty minutes." She said brightly.

"I'll take it." Lisa said, shivering slightly at the mention of red eye. She presented the ticket agent with her credit card. With no luggage to check in she dashed right through security and saw she had twenty five minutes left to wait for her flight. She looked down at the dress she was wearing in disgust. "Disgusting." She mumbled to herself shuddering at what Jackson had her wear. Glancing around, she saw an airport store that sold basic sweat clothes.

Running in, she purchased a sweatshirt, pants, socks and basic tennis shoes. Glancing at the departure gate, she noticed that passengers were already being prompted to board the flight. Lisa hurried into the restroom and quickly changed out of the sleazy dress, heels and coat. Throwing them in the trash without hesitation, she gave a long sigh. She certainly didn't want anything Jackson had given her. The very thought of keeping those clothes was repellant. They were a symbol of the rules he forced her to live by in his domain. Lisa's mind drifted back to those terrible days trapped alone in that gray, windowless prison and she trembled violently. "Never again." She thought. "I have to get out of here. I have to call David." She said to herself. Her cell phone was missing from her purse when she retrieved it from the duffle bag.

Coming out of the bathroom, she thought about calling David before she got on the plane and she started to head towards the payphones on the far wall beside the gate. The agent's voice came over the speaker announcing the last call for her flight and Lisa made a last glance at the payphones and then hurried over to the gate. She would simply call him on the plane. The agent glanced up at her and said pleasantly, "Well, cutting it a little close, aren't we?" Lisa nodded apologetically as the agent took her ticket, handed Lisa back her stub. Finally, Lisa headed down the jet way to the plane.

She boarded the plane, memories flashing back through her of the eventful red eye of last year. "No!" She said silently, trying to get a handle on her nerves. "I need to remain focused. I'm going home." She thought to herself.

Lisa looked at her ticket which had her assigned to the seat 14A. Patiently, she waited in line with other passengers as they slowly stowed away their luggage, some luggage, in Lisa's opinion should never have been allowed on board in the first place considering the size. Lisa rolled her eyes and thought, "Ever heard of a check in counter." She mumbled quietly. But, those trivial things wouldn't irritate her now. She grinned in excitement. She got away from Jackson and when she reached David, she would be completely safe. Jackson would never haunt her again.

Lisa closed her eyes in anticipation of her arrival back in Miami, already feeling David's arms around her protecting her from the horrors she had previously faced. Lisa took a deep breath and smiled from the mere thought of being in his presence. "Soon." She said reassuringly to herself.

However, the reality was a definitive contrast to Lisa's vivid daydream. It hit Lisa like a blunt instrument as she opened her eyes to find her assigned seat. In horror, momentarily frozen, she once again felt herself spiraling back into her nightmare. Seated next to 14A was a passenger. Not just any passenger. "How could he have found me?" Lisa asked herself feeling tears of dread well up in her eyes. Jackson Rippner looked up at Lisa, relishing her fearful expression, his hollow blue eyes once again capturing hers. "Save you a seat?" He asked her, grinning maliciously.


	14. False Hope

_"This can't be happening." Lisa thought to herself as she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness overcome her. She blinked rapidly in hopes by merely closing her eyes, the horrid image of Jackson Rippner sitting on the plane would dissipate. Terror clenched her chest as she stood there, rooted to the floor while shock seemed to hold her hostage._

"_No!" She screamed out. "You can't be here!" She cried. Jackson's baleful grin seemed to lengthen as he stood up slowly and reached for her._

_Lisa whirled around and started to run. "Help me!" She screamed to the other passengers and crew who seemed ignorant of any problems as they continued on with their tasks. She ran up to the plane exit and was horrified to see that the flight attendants had already shut the door. "This isn't right." Lisa thought. "The door shouldn't be closed until everyone is seated."_

_She immediately grabbed the arm of a flight attendant in the cabin and entreated upon her, "Please, open the door. A man on board is trying to kill me." The flight attendant turned to Lisa._

"_That would be impossible, dear. We have already taken off, remember?" Lisa turned to the window fearfully. Outside the small aircraft window, she could make out the distant lights of the ground._

_The flight attendant put her arm on her shoulder. "Are you afraid of flying, honey? It's not so bad." She said reassuringly. "Look, your husband is here to keep an eye on you." Lisa turned back to the flight attendant and gasped as Jackson came closer to her._

"_Don't worry, Leese." He said smirking darkly at her. "Had a rough day, Lisa?" He asked grabbing her arm twisting it painfully as she cried out in pain. "You know what Leese? Sometimes bad things happen to good people." He started dragging her back to her seat and to Lisa's disbelief, despite her cries for help, none of the other passengers seemed to notice._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa woke up with a choking gasp. Glancing at the other passengers quickly, she took deep breathes to help calm herself down. "You okay there?" the older woman asked who was sitting next to her on the plane. "You were asleep for a good while." The woman's eyes looked sympathetic as she observed the shadows on Lisa's face. "Looks like you needed it." She said smiling at her. Lisa looked at the woman trying to calm herself down after the vivid nightmare. "It was just a dream." She said to herself remembering that she got on the plane without incident and had fallen asleep the moment after sitting and greeting the female passenger that was sitting next to her.

Lisa forced a smile in return. "I just had a bad dream." She said to the woman not wishing to alarm her. She barely remembered getting on the plane and collapsing in her seat before the exhaustion of the last several days had caught up with her. Usually she never slept on flights since her fear of flying kept her relatively alert. Now, thanks to Jackson and the torturous games he insisted on playing at his base, she had no problems finding sleep. It was the nightmares that came to her, haunting her after the escape. The woman nodded and said, "That wasn't hard to see. You were twisting around in your seat looking like you were going to scream."

She felt the plane shake with some turbulence as Lisa glanced over at the phone attached to the seat directly in front of hers. She had meant to call David when she first arrived on the plane. Lisa mentally cursed her exhaustion as she saw that the plane phones were offline. Still feeling fatigue cling to her, Lisa decided to visit the airplane bathroom and ask the flight attendant for a warm cup of coffee. She didn't have time for nightmares and she had to remain alert to stop Jackson's plan.

She made her way to the bathroom and once inside, went to the sink and splashed water on her face. Taking in her surroundings, she shivered at the reminder of the bathroom incident she had endured with Jackson just a year ago. After she finished washing her hands, she glanced at the mirror momentarily stunned. In her exhausted state, she thought she saw Jackson's face reflecting in the mirror standing just right behind her. Lisa immediately looked behind her. There was nothing there or anywhere else in the room. "I can't keep letting him do this to me." Lisa whispered in response to her hallucination.

Approaching the door, her hand once again on the knob, her heart raced. For a second, she knew that Jackson's face would appear as she opened the door. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and turned the knob. The only person there was a young teenage girl who was looking at her expectantly as Lisa felt relief course throughout her entire body.

"Are you done?" The girl asked somewhat impatiently. Lisa immediately nodded and headed back to her seat, shaking her head muttering to herself. "Enough." She said. "He's not here." She told herself firmly.

When Lisa was back in her seat, she noticed that her fellow passenger had finally dozed off. Exuberant at seeing that the phones were back online, she immediately swiped her credit card and dialed David's cell phone number.

"David!" She said frantically when he answered the phone, his voice seemed groggy.

"Lisa?" He asked puzzled. "What's going on? Why are you calling at two in the morning?" He asked, his voice sounding irritated.

"Oh David, I need your help. It's Jackson!" She said frantically. David's voice immediately became more alert. "What about him, Lisa?" He asked. "Where are you?

Lisa took a deep breath and relayed to David quickly what had happened in the last several days. David's voice was filled with rage. "Did the bastard do anything to you?" He asked.

Lisa knew he was referencing rape. "No." She said. "Jackson didn't have the chance." She continued dryly. "He also thought I would willingly come to him sooner or later. " She started to cry. "David, you can't know how horrible it has been."

"Okay, Lisa. It's going to be okay. You're coming home." He stated, confidence filling his voice. Lisa felt so much gratitude right then. "Tell me when your flight gets in. I'll pick you up at the airport. We'll go to Charles and he'll arrange a safe house for us in the meantime. We'll call the wedding off. Okay, Lisa?" He asked in a soothing tone. "Just relax. You're safe now." He said.

Lisa hung up the phone feeling better. "In an hour, the plane will land and David will take me home." She thought. Whenever she was with David, she knew she was home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa opened her eyes as the plane landed in Miami. Despite the fact that she didn't plan to fall asleep, her body had ached with fatigue and she had drifted off again into a dreamless slumber.

Feeling refreshed, she retrieved her purse and stood up with the other passengers trying to get off the plane.

As Lisa walked through the airport, she felt like she was walking into a dream. In her mind she could see the Jackson chasing her past a restaurant to the tram she had entered as the doors closed giving Lisa a temporary reprieve from Jackson's rage.

Entering the baggage claim area, she joyfully saw David standing there waiting for her. Their eyes met and she ran into his arms. He embraced her and at that moment she felt so protected. The world drifted away as all they could see were each other.

"Come on, honey. Let's get out of here." He said as he put his arm around her shoulder leading her to his car in the short term parking garage. He walked briskly as Lisa exhausted from her trial, could hardly keep up. "Where's the fire?" She asked, trying to joke.

David grinned at her. "Leese, I just want to get you to a safe place right away. For all we know, that bastard could be right behind us." He explained. Lisa shivered and moved closer to David. Despite the fact that Lisa was trying to remain strong, she enjoyed the feeling of being protected.

As David drove away from the airport, Lisa quietly enjoyed the scenery as she looked at the familiar surroundings of her home town. "I'm back and I'm not dreaming this." Lisa thought. She knew it would take time for the horrible memories to pass but her fiancé was here now and she was home.

David's blue BMW approached the Hilton in Miami and Lisa gave David a puzzled glance. "What are we doing here?" She asked speculatively.

"Hey, Lisa, it's ok. Charles owns one of the suites upstairs, remember?" He asked encouragingly. Lisa nodded after a moment feeling slightly stupid. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little paranoid."

"It's ok, Leese. We'll work it out. I'm just lucky that Charles decided to come home from his tour early." He said.

David showed his ID to the receptionist upon entering the hotel and she smiled in recognition and handed him a room key. "Enjoy your stay, Mr. Rosen." She said. He smiled briefly at her and took Lisa's hand leading her to the elevator that led to the private suite.

As the elevator closed around them and started to ascend, Lisa saw David was looking pale. "What is it David?" She asked him. "Is something wrong?" David glanced at her and paused. "Well, Lisa, you are not going to understand." He said nervously.

"Understand what, David?" She asked feeling confused. "I'm going to marry you so you need to be open with me." She said. Then some doubt trickled into her mind. "Explain it to me David." She demanded. "Whatever you have to tell me, it will be okay." She said smiling.

David turned to her with a pained expression on his face. "Lisa, look, I didn't mean for things to get this complicated." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Leese; you weren't expected to know of my involvement." He added turning his head away regretfully.

"Involvement with what, David?" She asked feeling the edge of panic once again as the elevator reached the top floor and the doors slid open. They stepped into the foyer of the suite.

"With me Leese." A smooth voice said from the living room. Lisa felt her chest constricting in terror as she once again encountered the man from her nightmares. "Jackson." She whispered as she struggled to breathe.

He sauntered over to her casually, his hands folded across his chest. "Well, Lisa." He said while shaking his head in amusement. "What did I say about bad things happening to good people?" He asked her while he grinned malevolently.

**I tried re-editing to emphasize that Lisa dreamt the initial part where she saw Jackson on the plane. Hey, anyone whose been kidnapped, drugged, starved, forced awake, etc. probably would have nightmares and the fact that this was another public flight a year later would bring back vivid memories. At the end, he just happens to say the same words as in her dream. I couldn't find a better way to finish the sentance to make his presence felt and to connect Jackson with her nightmares. Thanks for the reviews and sorry for any confusion.**


	15. Compliance

Lisa screamed, her cry echoing off the walls of the luxurious penthouse. Instinctively, she reacted to Jackson's malignant presence. Grabbing a chair perched in the foyer she swung it at him forcefully.

Jackson merely grasped the chair by its frame as it was about to come down on his side, and twisted it out of her grip. The chair fell harmlessly to the floor. Shaking his head, Jackson smiled darkly. "Oh, Leese, I sense you're not as happy to see me as I am to see you." He said as he drew closer to her.

Lisa turned and ran for the door where the emergency stairs were located. Grabbing a heavy vase off the nearby table, she threw it Jackson which made him stumble. Gaining a few seconds, Lisa picked up her speed. Jackson dashed off after her as David stood there watching the two leave. Removing his cell phone from his pocket, "She's heading down the stairs from the penthouse." He said into the receiver.

Lisa was sprinting down the stairs, her breaths coming in small gasps as she ran. Taking the steps two at time, she thought wildly, "David betrayed me. He's worked for DARPA all this time and I never knew." Her face burned in anger and she realized that she never truly escaped Jackson. Stupidly, Lisa had escaped from one enemy to fall into the arms of the other.

Jackson was closing in behind her and Lisa knew she had to hide. She had no weapon to defend herself and Jackson would beat her at a footrace. She exited the emergency stair case on the twenty third floor and ran to the other side of the hallway, grabbing the handle of the door indicated "Rooftop Stairway: Authorized Personnel Only". She breathed a sigh of relief when she found the door unlocked and started to run back up the stairs hoping that Jackson hadn't been close enough behind her to follow her footsteps.

Lisa burst through the rooftop exit and felt a strong wind tear through her hair obscuring her vision. She pulled her hair aside out of her face and ran across the roof to hide behind the steel pilings on the roof used for repairs on various parts of the hotel. She took a long shuddering breath as she tried to calm her racing heart. "What am I going to do?" She asked herself.

She couldn't believe that after all these months, David was a traitor. "I loved him." Lisa thought in utter sadness. The betrayal felt like a physical ache as her heart was torn apart from his deceit. "We were going to get married." She muttered to herself in disbelief.

"And we will." said David's voice from behind her. Lisa turned around rapidly to find David standing right behind her. "Bastard!" she exclaimed. "You lied to me." She said viciously. Grabbing her engagement ring off her finger, she tossed it at his feet. "Why David?" she asked tears welling up in her eyes.

David picked up the ring, tension showing plainly on his face. He shook his head. "Lisa, this was business. I had my orders and I'm sorry." He said sadly. "For what's its worth, I do have feelings for you."

Lisa went up to David and slapped his face hard. "How dare you!" she said. "I told you everything Jackson put me through and you're just going to just hand me over to him?"

David grabbed her wrist. "I have no choice, Leese. If I don't, he'll kill me and you too. We have to go through with the wedding as planned. It's only a few days away. Once it's over, we go our separate ways." He said calmly.

She yanked her hand out of his grip. "You mean you'll go your separate way, David because Jackson doesn't plan to ever let me go." David looked surprised for a moment. "Oh, don't pretend you weren't aware, David." Lisa said sputtering. "You have no idea what he did to me. Nor do you care."

She turned away from him and ran in the opposite direction, tears obscuring her vision. Brushing them away impatiently, she headed back to the rooftop stairwell door. Preoccupied, she opened the door without looking and ran into something solid. Looking upwards, her eyes met those horrifying blue eyes again. Reeling backwards, she pushed Jackson hoping he would topple down the stairs. Her shove had little effect on Jackson as he kept his feet firmly planted and reached for her, grabbing her wrist yanking her to him.

Lisa struggled to break free as Jackson's other hand encircled her waist, attempting to pin her arms. Turning her head towards David, she cried out to him. "David, please help me. You've been closer to me then anyone in the last six months. Are you just going to stand there and let him take me?" David's face was impassive as he approached but Lisa remembered his look of shock when she mentioned that Jackson wasn't going to let her go.

She tried again. "David, he's going to kill Keefe and his family. I know you care for them. You can't fake those kinds of feelings. Please!" She screamed. David shook his head. "It's out of my hands, Lisa. I do my part and I move on." Lisa shuddered at those words that sounded exactly like Jackson's. "It's up to me." She muttered under her breath.

Her desperate attempts to struggle with Jackson were becoming futile as she was becoming tired. Glancing at his suit, she saw a pen clipped to his pocket. Instantly her free hand was around it. While she knew, she didn't have the leverage to jam it into his throat; she aimed the pen at the arm grasped around her waist. With force, she stabbed the pen directly through his hand.

Jackson jerked his arm back and clutched his hand swearing in his brief state of agony. Distracted by his wound, Lisa freed herself and shoved him away from her and ran down the stairs.

She exited again on the twenty third floor and saw that the elevator doors were open. Lisa managed to get inside the elevator just before the doors shut feeling chills going down her spine as the elevator continued its rapid descent. She burst out into the lobby at a full sprint heading to the exit and to David's parked car. Since she had a duplicate of his keys in her purse, she knew his car would be the fastest route to Charles Keefe. "I have to warn him." She thought.

The parking lot was deserted and she dashed over in the direction of the BMW. Suddenly she heard a popping sound that she couldn't identify and then she felt an excruciating pain hit her leg as she collapsed on the cement.

She could feel a warm sticky substance covering her leg and she glanced down at it. "Blood." She thought numbly. "My blood." She felt dizzy and saw that a pool of it was falling onto the pavement.

"Damn it, Mike!" Jackson's voice said angrily. "What were my orders?" He asked, seething in rage. "She was running sir." Mike's voice said defensively. "It's only a leg wound. She wasn't close enough for me to use a trank dark or tazer."

"Mike is the guy from the plane." Lisa thought feeling drowsy. "You clipped an artery, Mike. The wedding is in a few days." Jackson said contemptuously. "You disobeyed me and you know the consequences for disobedience." Jackson concluded, taking a gun from his coat. Mike looked terrified. "Mr. Rippner, I'm sorry. We can fix it." Jackson simply observed him coldly and pointed the gun at him. "You're right Mike, we can." He said coolly.

Lisa heard the gunshot and moaned as she saw Mike collapse lifeless on the ground. "Is he going to kill me now?" She asked herself fearfully. Jackson knelt down beside her. Lisa saw that one of his hands was bandaged. "The pen." She thought with some pride.

He immediately tore open the leg of her sweat pants to examine the wound. "Damn, what a mess." She heard him mutter. Lisa felt confused. "Aren't you supposed to kill me?" She asked weakly. She felt lightheaded and disconnected from the action that was taking place around her. Jackson seemed to ignore the question and she wondered if she said it out loud or merely to herself. It didn't seem to matter anymore.

"I'm so tired." She murmured softly. "Where's David?" She asked. "What am I doing on the ground?" She asked herself suddenly unable to remember what happened. "Lisa, stay with me." Jackson said persuasively. Lisa's fatigue was so heavy she closed her eyes and time seemed to fast forward.

"Lisa, wake up. Look at me." Lisa opened her eyes slowly to see Jackson sitting beside her. She was no longer lying on the parking lot but on a bed in a darkened room. She panicked upon seeing those piercing blue eyes looking down at her and she tried to propel herself off the bed. One of her legs felt heavy and she could hardly move it. Looking at it, she saw that it was heavily bandaged. Horrified she looked at Jackson. "You shot me." She said as disbelief rang through her voice. Jackson held her down by her shoulders. "No, Leese, I didn't. Mike disobeyed me and shot you in the leg." Smiling icily, he started to stroke her hair with one hand. She shrank from his touch. "Not to worry, Leese. I dealt with the matter." He took a needle out of his pocket and took her wrist in his hand. Lisa cried out in protest and struggled to move away from him. But his grip was like iron on her arm. "Lisa, shh, it's just a painkiller, I promise. It will help." She winced as he gave her the injection. "That's my girl." He said reassuringly. She glared at him in response.

Suddenly, Lisa's memory flooded back. "You killed him!" She said horrified. "You murdered Mike in front of me." Jackson shrugged casually. "That is how I deal with insubordinate employees." He said carelessly.

Lisa looked at him feeling nauseated. "Is that how you are going to deal with me, Jack?" His eyes froze on her face. "Not unless you give me a reason to. You see, we are still on schedule for the wedding. I still need you." He said.

"You need help Jack. The date is only a few days away and there is no way I am going to be able to do it." She replied.

"Nice try, Leese. You were actually very fortunate. The bullet nicked a minor artery and luckily for you, I managed to stop the bleeding. After a few days rest, a march down the aisle should be a problem for you." He smiled malevolently at her.

He reached down and touched her face. "You're so strong, Lisa. I assume when you tried to escape, you didn't care about the fates of your friends and your mother. Maybe I just haven't been convincing enough for you. Maybe you need a demonstration." He said.

Lisa started to tremble trying to think what he meant by that cryptic statement. "Jack, wait…" She started to say when Jackson left the room.

Jackson did not leave her waiting long. The door reopened and Jackson came through the door dragging Cynthia with him. "Cynthia." Lisa whispered as Jackson held the struggling girl. With one hand, he reached into his pocket for the k-bar, and help it up to Cynthia's throat. She screamed.

"Jack, stop it. Leave her out of this." Lisa cried. Jackson smirked. "For what Lisa? She means nothing to me. I really couldn't manage to care if I kill her right now. You know what I want Leese." He said fiercely.

Lisa felt completely helpless as she gazed at Cynthia's tearstained face. "I have no choice," She thought. "Either way, I lose." She said to herself.

"Time's up, Leese. What will it be?" He said, his knife dug into Cynthia's throat and a small stream of blood trickled down her neck.

Lisa shook her head. "I'll do it. I'll go through with wedding." She said listlessly. "And I'll burn in hell for it." She told herself. There was nothing left that Lisa could do. For the moment, Jackson had won.

**Wow, it's getting close to the end here. I'm going to be a little sad when I finish. Thanks you guys for encouraging me.**


	16. The Night Before

Lisa sat numbly in the bedroom fingering her wedding dress despair written across her face. It was the night before the wedding and Lisa knew her resistance was dying. "I've just given up." Lisa thought feeling ashamed. All those times she had told others that she was a survivor and all for what? She had survived only to be betrayed by her fiancé and tortured by her enemy. "How can David do this to me?" Lisa thought in a moment of pure anguish. She thought of the last six months and all the times she had shared her most intimate thoughts. David had simply used them against her. The love she saw from him was only an illusion. "What have I done to deserve this?" Lisa whispered.

Cynthia huddled next to Lisa and wrapped her arm around her. "Lisa, I'm so sorry. I really didn't know what Jackson looked like." Cynthia said trying to explain. "He just came up to the front desk and started talking to me asking me to go for a drink with him." Looking down shamefully she continued. "I don't really remember the rest. We were walking out of the hotel and then things got kind of fuzzy." She said.

Lisa turned to her. "Cynthia this isn't your fault. You must not blame yourself for something like that." Tears started to well in Cynthia's eyes. "What are we going to do Leese? We can't let Keefe die." Lisa stood up feeling frustrated and resentful. "What choice do we have, Cynthia?" Lisa said, her body shaking. She winced slightly as she put weight on the leg that had been shot. "It's either him or the entire first floor." She sighed. "Cynthia, I had to make this decision before on the plane. After Jackson told me that the entire family was being killed to send a message, I knew I had to be willing to sacrifice my own father for the lives of strangers. We do what we have to do."

Cynthia came up to Lisa and shook her. "So you're just giving up and letting Jackson win by playing according to his rules. That isn't you Lisa." She said shaking her head. "I don't know what is me anymore." Lisa said despondently. She glanced at Cynthia. "At least, I can be happy knowing you will go free. The safety of my family and friends are worth the cost of my freedom."

"So, you are just going to let that bastard take you?" Cynthia asked snidely trying to break Lisa free of her despair. Tears trickled down Lisa's cheeks as she fell into a chair. She felt dead inside and alone in her misery. She couldn't explain to Cynthia how much it cost Lisa to be beaten and the pain she had to endure as she tried over and over again to escape. "Is this fate?" She thought dejectedly. "To be someone's possession?"

Contemplating the future, Lisa shivered remembering the windowless room and threats of torture. Jackson, whom claimed he loved her seemed to do everything to the contrary. Now, the date she feared was rapidly approaching. "I don't even know Jackson's plan." She muttered quietly.

The door opened and Jackson stepped through it smiling arrogantly at them. "How are my girls?" He asked lightly as Lisa simply turned her head away in distaste. He set down a tray of food on the bed. "It's time to eat." He said in a commanding tone.

Lisa shook her head. "I'm not hungry." she said staring at the wall. As Cynthia watched in horror, Jackson strode over to Lisa and yanked her up from the chair by her elbow. Dragging her to the food, he said to quietly, "You haven't eaten in two days Leese and I find that unacceptable. Don't make this more complicated then it has to be." He squeezed her elbow and Lisa cried out in pain.

Cynthia had enough of Jackson's abuse of her friend. She walked over to Jackson and slapped him hard across the face. "You bastard! Leave her alone. Isn't torturing her everyday with your presence enough for her to deal with?" Cynthia asked shaking in fury. "Lisa should have killed you when she had the chance. I know I would have."

Jackson turned to her and gave her a brief semblance of a smile and in one vicious movement wrapped his hands around Cynthia's throat choking her as she tried to struggle against him.

"Jack, leave her alone. Get off her right now." Lisa said sharply as she tried to pull Jackson off Cynthia. "Jack if you kill her, there is no chance in hell I'm going through with the wedding tomorrow. You'll be a failure again as always." She snarled at him.

Jackson relinquished his grip on Cynthia and turned to Lisa. "Is that so, Lisa?" He asked. "Maybe, we should have another conversation." He said, grinning darkly. He seized Lisa's wrist and propelled her out of the bedroom leaving Cynthia alone, still gasping for air from Jackson's previous attack.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What do you want Jack?" Lisa said wearily, her wrist hanging limply in his hand. He tightened his grip on her wrist as she gave a small cry of pain. "Still thinking of fighting me, Lisa?" He asked furiously. Jackson was dragging her to the outside living room area of the Hilton suite

"Jack if you haven't been paying attention, I've been doing that the whole time." She said sighing. "So what? You got your way. Isn't that what you wanted Jack? For me to hate myself as much as I loathe you?" She asked sarcastically.

Jackson looked away from her gaze and Lisa pounced. "Have you ever had to be there, Jack? Or were you just content giving orders? Have you ever had to watch your victims die?"

He smirked at her. "I'm a manager Leese, not an assassin." He said as he sat down casually on one of the easy chairs.

"You're a coward." She said throwing animosity in her voice. Jackson's blue eyes filled with rage. "Was I a coward when I killed my parents, Lisa?" He threw back at her.

Lisa stared at him in a stunned silence. "Why, Jack?" She asked. "What did they do to deserve that?"

"Oh, so you think I just murdered them for fun. Is that it Leese?" He snarled at her. "Why don't I show you why?" He said seizing her elbow dragging her closer to him. "Don't do this Jackson. Please!" Lisa screamed out, her chest constricting in terror.

She closed her eyes expecting the pain that would come from Jackson's abuse. But nothing happened. Carefully, she opened her eyes to find that he rolled up the sleeve of his shirt. "Oh my God." She whispered as she saw the jagged scars. "There's more where that came from, Lisa." He said sardonically to her.

"Your parents did this?" She asked in disbelief. "Yeah, Leese, not everyone has a fairy tale childhood. My parents were drug users. Their paranoia turned into my punishment." He shook his head still smiling coolly. "I suppose you could say that without them, I wouldn't have turned into the man I am today." Lisa turned away, horrified and Jackson continued. "I killed them, Lisa when I was sixteen. It was so simple, Leese. I reprogrammed their car using a remote computer and their brakes failed."

"That's how DARPA recruited you?" Lisa asked in dismay. "Because you murdered your parents?" Jackson smiled pridefully. "I suppose I showed promise as well as excellent scholastic ability." Jackson replied.

"And you would condemn me to the same fate, Jack because you don't know any better?" Lisa asked sharply. "Think about this." She said pleadingly. "You are going to have innocent blood on your hands. Yes, your parents did horrible things to you but Charles Keefe, his family and his friends are all good people, Jack." Lisa said insistently.

Jackson shrugged. "It doesn't matter, Leese. It's just business. When they die, the public outcry for retaliation against the terrorists will be huge. Support will swing back to our President and the wire tapping that was carelessly mismanaged will be swept under the rug." He held out his hand to her, palm extended showing a small bottle of fluid. "You know what this is Leese?"

Lisa shook her head feeling dizzy. "It's genius, Lisa. It dissolves in water and is untraceable. Once ingested, it causes the organs to melt and death comes in a matter of minutes. We plant containers of this in the Middle East and within weeks, we have our weapons of mass destruction. Our government will be vindicated." He gazed at her arrogantly.

"That is your plan?" She asked. "You are just going this for public relations?"

Jackson sighed impatiently. "Remember, Leese what I said about someone wanting to send a big, brash message?" Lisa sat down and put her hands to her head. "Come on, Lisa. I'm giving you and Cynthia the easy part. You just have to go through the ceremony as normal. Remember, tomorrow I'll be watching you and if you even think to warn them, Leese…" He held out a small, black device. "A remote detonator for the bomb." Lisa thought instantly.

Seeing recognition in her eyes, he put the device away. He checked his watch to make sure everything was on schedule. His eyes glanced at her leg that was still covered with gauze from where she had been recently shot. Lisa was still sitting in the easy chair with her hands over her head, muttering a silent prayer to herself when Jackson gripped her sore leg.

Lisa winced and tried to yank her leg away. "Easy, Lisa. I'm just checking to make sure it's healing." He said calmly as he removed the bandages and ran his hand expertly over the wound. "Well, the stitches I put in won't be able to come out for some time but it is healing nicely. Does it hurt to walk on it?" He asked, instantly switching his tone to one of sympathy.

Lisa shrugged, her leg being the farthest thing from her mind. Jackson wasn't satisfied. "Get up." He said firmly. She obeyed slowly and proceeded to try to walk on the leg. She wasn't able to hide the fact that whenever she allowed herself to put her weight on it, the pain was excruciating.

He put fresh gauze over the stitches to keep them in place and went over to a cabinet, removing a needle from the drawer. She shook her head vehemently. "Jack, I don't want it." She told him firmly.

"Leese, make this easy for yourself. You don't have a choice and you know that. Now, I'm taking you back to your room where you will eat and you are going to convince your little friend Cynthia to behave during the ceremony. I don't want anybody stepping out of line." He took a deep breath and sighed. "We are almost home free." He said.

"_And I have lost my freedom_. Lisa thought as Jackson approached her and grabbed her arm. She felt the needle against her skin and wondered where she would go from here. Was there any hope in saving Keefe tomorrow? For the last few days, all Lisa could feel was her heartbreak from David's betrayal.

Jackson had taken her back into the bedroom with Cynthia and locked the door. Cynthia had fallen asleep finally but the marks around her neck had barely faded from where Jackson hands had been. Lisa felt a surge of anger. Cynthia was right. She just couldn't give up now. Even if Lisa followed Jackson's orders, her family and friends would never be safe. They would always be used as bargaining chips against her.

"I can't just let this happen." Lisa thought. Out loud she said, "If you want a war, Jackson, you got one."

**This is kind of filler to set up the next day...I plan to work on the last chapters this weekend while I'm in Lake Tahoe on retreat...anyway, so sorry about the filler stuff but the crux of this comes next. Thanks!**


	17. Special Day

_Lisa was walking down the aisle with Charles Keefe at her side in her treasured wedding dress she had picked out so lovingly months before. "Everything is perfect." She thought with contentment but something inside her mind was nagging at her. There was something she was supposed to remember. _

_She turned to Charles Keefe and whispered to him, "There is something I forgot. Do you know what it is?" Charles turned to her and with shock, Lisa realized he was dead. He was grinning at her with hollow eye sockets, his face bursting open in places from the decay. Lisa screamed and tried to pull her arm back. "What's wrong Lisa?" the grinning corpse asked. _

"_You're dead!" Lisa stuttered. "How did this happen?" She looked around terrified only to find to her horror that the entire party was decomposing in front of her eyes. "You know the answer to that, Lisa..." Charles said. "Isn't this your special day?"_

_Lisa backed away from the horrid display and felt herself run into something solid. She whirled around to find her father. "Keep your focus, Leese." He said putting a hand on her shoulder. He started to dissipate in front of her eyes. "Dad, wait. I still need you." She cried out. _

_A hand fell on her wrist. Dreadfully, she turned around to find Death standing next to her. "May I have this dance?" His hood fell away that masked his face and Jackson's blue eyes met hers. "After all, we are partners. The guests are waiting for us." He said menacingly._

_Lisa let out another shrill, piercing wail as the hand on her wrist dragged her back into the ballroom._

Cynthia woke up to hear Lisa's cries. Glancing out the small window, dawn had just barely broken the night sky. She turned over and grabbed Lisa shoulders shaking her. "Lisa! Wake up. It's just a dream." Lisa was twisting in the bed fighting against the grip Cynthia had on her shoulders.

Cynthia shook her head helplessly wondering what to do. Running into the small bathroom, she grabbed a washcloth off the counter and started to sprinkle Lisa's face with cold water in hopes of shocking her from the nightmare. She coaxed Lisa from the dream by saying, "Come on Leese, and wake up. Jackson is going to hear you."

Thankfully, Lisa started blinking her eyes open and focused on Cynthia who was kneeling over her, a concerned expression on her face. She was still shaking from the grotesque nightmare. "They were all dead." She muttered.

Cynthia was confused. "Who?" She asked.

"Everyone. The guests, Charles Keefe…" Lisa said with tears in her eyes. "They were blaming me for it, Cynthia." She trembled and looked at Cynthia with determination in her eyes. "We can't let this happen. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

Cynthia smiled and put her hand reassuringly on Lisa's arm. "Thank God, Leese. I thought you had just given up."

Lisa smiled weakly in response. "For a moment there I did." She said honestly.

Their door opened and Jackson appeared. "That's what I like to see. Both of my girls are up and ready for the big day." He said calmly as he set down a tray of food. "Eat quickly and get ready. I want you dressed and in the living room in an hour."

Lisa sighed. "What's the hurry Jack?" She asked. "The wedding doesn't start for hours."

Smiling darkly at Lisa, he replied, "No more questions and I don't want any further complications. Time is money, Leese, remember?" He asked aloofly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lisa and Cynthia were being escorted to the bridal room by David. Glancing at her fiancé, _("ex-finance!" Lisa thought scathingly)_, she noticed that he looked distracted. Turning to him, uttering sarcastically, "Feeling guilty?"

David gazed at her with a look she was unable to identify in his eyes. Then, his face became impassive once more. "Guilty about what, Lisa? This is business after all."

"So, it doesn't bother you in the slightest that Jackson is planning to poison the Keefe family. Don't you remember all the times you've told me that they were your adopted family, David?" David looked away from her saying, "It's not really my business, Lisa. I just help out where I can."

Lisa felt disgusted as she was escorted into her bridal room with Cynthia. The other bridesmaids were there whispering excitedly among one another while different stylists worked on their hair. Lisa was just starting to get fitted into her bridal gown when her mother came into the room.

"You look beautiful, Lisa." Her mother said, her face glowing with pride. Noticing the expression on Lisa's face, she asked, "What wrong, Leese? Today is your wedding day! Aren't you excited?"

Lisa looked at her wanting so much to tell her to leave the hotel. She thought, "I just can't take a chance at losing my mother too." Leaning over to her mother, she started to whisper in her ear.

The door opened and Jackson appeared dressed in a formal suit and tie. Her mother looked at him quizzically. "Do I know you?" She asked him.

Jackson flashed one of his enigmatic smiles. "I'm with hotel security, Mrs. Reisert. May I take a moment of the bride's time to discuss security arrangements for the ballroom? He asked looking at Lisa warningly.

Lisa felt her heart sink. Of course he would be watching her every move. She glanced back pleadingly at her mother and forced herself to be polite. She couldn't take a risk of Jackson hurting anyone else. "Can't it wait? My mother just got here. I'm certain your arrangements are just perfect." She said sharply.

Jackson smirked darkly. "I'm afraid not, Miss Reisert. I really must insist." He said holding the door open for her as Lisa walked through it into another private room off the side of the ballroom. Bouquets of flowers littered the nearby table.

He grabbed her chin. "You and your mother looked awfully secretive, Leese." Lisa glared at him. "You were watching me?" She asked with a disgusted tone in her voice.

"Lisa I trust you, but not that much. You know, you've escaped too many times to leave you alone without having surveillance. That would be highly irresponsible of me." He said as he leaned casually against the wall. "Remember who is in control, Leese." as he took out the remote detonator. Lisa shivered.

"Are we ready to do this?" He asked, glancing at his watch. "It's almost time."

Lisa nodded. "I must get that detonator out of his hand." She thought. "But how?" She asked herself.

Lisa heard the door open as her mother stepped through it. "Leese?" She asked. "Is everything all right? The guests are here and the music is starting." Lisa nodded slowly taking a deep breath.

Her mother smiled and left the room and Jackson gripped her elbow. To other guests, Jackson simply appeared as a polite escort for the nervous bride. "Cold feet?" Someone asked jokingly.

She paused to look at the stranger who asked the question. "You have no idea." She said fearfully.

Jackson sneered at her as he left her at the beginning of the entrance to the ballroom. In the distance, Charles Keefe was approaching her. "Let the games begin." Jackson said maliciously before he left the room.

Charles approached her and gently took her elbow as they got into position to walk down the aisle. Lisa however was still watching after Jackson as he disappeared into the ballroom and closed her eyes briefly. "Let the war begin." She thought.

**Well, now that these are done, I can contrate on the end over the weekend. I will be away so I won't be able to post (I think) until Sunday evening or Monday. I'm not sure there will be online access. Thanks.**


	18. Cold Feet

As the music began to play, Lisa glanced at Charles Keefe nervously. In her mind, she thought, "He's guiding me down the aisle and I'm walking him to his death." Charles looked at her and smiled. "Wedding jitters?" He whispered to her. She forced a smile and looked at him intensely. "Please hear me." She thought hoping his mind could penetrate her thoughts.

He frowned. "Is something wrong Lisa?" He asked. The pain of holding Jackson's plan a secret was a physical ache. Her body trembled as she started to speak. Then she saw Jackson, who stood with the other hotel security, a faint smile on his lips staring directly at Lisa his pale blue eyes capturing hers. Discreetly, he put a finger to his lips. Lisa looked away and continued her walk down the aisle where David waited to take her hand in his.

She flinched slightly as David took her hand firmly and they turned to the minister. The wedding vows passed by for Lisa as a blur. She forced herself to repeat after the minister and when prompted, David kissed Lisa lightly while everyone applauded the couple. Lisa shivered, feeling the remnants of her dream coming back with the room full of corpses.

She felt hollow, standing in the back of the ballroom as her friends and family passed to congratulate her. Numbly, she exchanged pleasantries feeling dread as each moment passed. Cynthia put a cold hand on her arm and Lisa turned to her seeing the fear in her friend's face. Feeling sick after what felt like hours to Lisa, she excused herself and headed back to the bridal suite. The room was empty of her wedding party leaving Lisa to change into her more comfortable dress for the reception.

She sat down and put her arms around her waist bending over to try to quell the nausea she was feeling. Taking deep breaths, she got up and walked into the kitchen attached to the bridal suite feeling a wave of shock radiate through her. Bottles of champagne were sitting on the counter uncorked for the reception tables. Each bottle had a table number on it that designated its assigned place. A wave of fear went through her as she saw the one assigned to Keefe's table. It was set further apart from the others. Lisa instantly thought of the chemical that Jackson was planning to introduce to the Keefe's and others sitting at his table. "The champagne." Lisa said to herself horrified. "Jackson put the it in the champagne." She shook her head feeling her heart racing from her discovery. She grasped the bottle of champagne that was being assigned to the Keefe table.

Grabbing a similar bottle of champagne, Lisa contemplated, "Maybe if I can exchange the bottles quickly, I can save them." She thought desperately.

Uncorking the suspicious bottle, she examined the contents, which looked ordinary. Taking a deep breath, she started walking to the sink. "I'll dump out the original bottle and exchange the champagne with an untainted bottle." She told herself.

"Hey Leese, I was wondering what…." Jackson's voice echoed from behind her. His voice became sharp. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Lisa without turning around slowly put the bottle back on the counter and turned. "Nothing. I didn't feel well. My leg was bothering me." She said attempting to put a note of innocence in her voice as she backed away from him.

"Leese, it disappoints me when you lie to me. You know I never lied to you." He said as he aggressively strode towards her. Grabbing her wrist, he yanked her from the counter and saw the bottle of wine she was trying to hide. "Oh, very clever, Lisa." He said sarcastically as he wrenched her arm behind her back. Lisa's scream in pain was cut off by Jackson's hand that clamped over her mouth.

He glanced around to verify that no one else was coming through the door and dragged her back into the bridal room. Lisa tried to pull herself away knowing her attempts were futile. She hurriedly tried to think of a plan. Wanting to destroy the detonator, she allowed her body to go limp as if the pain in her leg was too much for her to endure. She groaned, letting her eyes roll back shifting her weight completely onto Jackson.

She was pleased as she felt Jackson's surprise as he took her arms and carefully laid her on the floor, kneeling beside her. "He'll know I'm faking before long." Lisa thought to herself. In her mind, she visualized his pocket where the remote detonator was held. Using the skills she learned from the year of tae boe, she instantly swung her leg around and kicked his side where the detonator was hidden from view. For a moment, she relished hearing the crush of circuit boards, as the detonator was made useless.

Lisa jumped to her feet shoving Jackson backwards, which knocked him somewhat off balance at the position he was kneeling. Running, she headed to the kitchen to find in shock, that the bottles of champagne were gone. "Oh my God! Keefe!" She said out loud as she ran towards the ballroom. As she reached the door, she felt fingers seize her by the hair and pull her backwards as she was thrown to the floor. Jackson's eyes flashed as he straddled her legs pressing both her wrists to the floor. Repeating the insult she threw at him only one year ago, she glared at him piercingly. "You're pathetic! What's wrong, Jack?" Lisa asked snidely. "Think you might be a failure again?"

He slapped her across the face hard and grasped her hair in one hand. "Clever, Leese…" He whispered to her. "Destroying my detonator was impressive." He grinned darkly at her, removing a knife from the kitchen counter, putting it against her neck. Lisa moaned and tried to twist her head away. "Oh, this isn't for you, Lisa. I will dole out your punishment later when we go home. But your little stunt in there just cost you Cynthia's life." He said menacingly. Lisa shook her head, trembling.

"Coward." Lisa spat. "Why don't you punish me instead?" Jackson eyes focused on hers icily. "I already am." He said firmly. He pulled her up by her arm and Lisa struggled wildly to free herself as he dragged her back into the bridal room. "He's going to lock me inside!" Lisa thought frantically. Grabbing onto the counter in the kitchen, she held on with all her strength. "Jack stop! They'll notice I'm missing." She said trying to find a way for him to relinquish her.

"Not for a while." He said assuredly and managed to dislodge her grip from the counter. Her eyes desperately surveyed the counter. "The cake knife." She told herself. With her free hand, she grabbed the handle.

Upon seizing the knife in one hand, she stabbed him in the shoulder. Swearing in pain, his grip on Lisa weakened considerably. Lisa dashed into the ballroom just as screams broke out around the room. "No!" She thought as she pushed the door open. In horror, she saw that the Keefes and a few others were on the lying unmoving on the ground, as champagne glasses were lying broken on the floor beside them. Cynthia was weeping shocked by their sudden collapse as she looked at Lisa for some kind of hope.

Lisa felt her insides sink. There wasn't any hope she could give her. Racing over to Keefe's still form, she put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry." She whispered to him. "I tried everything I could to save you." She said shuddering. Revulsion tightened its grip around her heart. Turning to his security she demanded, "When did this happen?"

"After the toast, Miss Reisert. Charles Keefe was offering a toast to your husband and collapsed minutes after drinking the champagne." One guard said quickly. He ran to the exit of the ballroom looking fearful. Lisa could hear the sirens ringing in her ears as ambulances pulled into the parking lot. Medics rushed into the room to examine the unconscious family. They muttered amongst each other as David approached and whispered to one of them. The attendant looked at him and shook his head.

"Jackson won." Lisa thought feeling her mind collapse into shock. "I used all my strength to fight him and he still won." She said feeling resigned. Cynthia rushed up to her. "Oh my God, Leese. They can't be dead." She said, her voice rang in disbelief.

Lisa turned to her. "Cynthia, you have to leave now. I stabbed Jackson but he's still alive in the kitchen. I want you out of here." Shaking, she said, "I'm so sorry, Cynthia. I did everything I could. I was too late."

Cynthia stared at her woodenly. Lisa felt anger rise up in her on top of her guilt. "Cynthia, leave now. Find hotel security. Have them lock this place down." Lisa commanded and Cynthia nodded slowly.

"But, Lisa, what about you?" She asked looking around terrified. Lisa said numbly, "I'll do what I have to do. Just get out of here, Cynthia!" Filling her words with force. Cynthia backed away from her unsteadily. Turning on her heel, she ran for the door.

The room was empty except for Lisa as she stared blankly at the altar. "This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life." She thought to herself. Her mind filled with the loss of Charles and his family. Collapsing against the wall, she started to weep uncontrollably. Her mind drifted back to the horror of the last several days as her wrenching sobs caused her to gasp for air.

"I can't do this." Lisa thought as her tears fell. "What further pain could I feel? What more can be taken from me against my will." Screaming out loud, her voice resounded off the walls. "I hate you!" She cried with all her strength. "I hate you." She said again this time, her voice a whisper.

A hand fell on her shoulder, gripping it tightly. She looked up to see Jackson's face. His shirt was soaked with blood from the wound in his shoulder. "It's done." He said. "Time to go, Leese."

She jerked away from him. "Go to hell, Jack!" She said, animosity ringing in her tone. Jackson smiled despite the rage that clouded his features, "Somehow, I knew you wouldn't go quietly." He said as he removed a syringe from his pocket.

"No." Lisa thought to herself. "Not again." Moving away from him, she grabbed the table where the wedding cake and gifts were perched as a means to propel herself into a standing position.

Jackson seized her arm to pull her away from the table, which was wobbling from Lisa's grip. Kicking him fiercely in the knee she ran to the center of the ballroom as Jackson staggered backwards to the kitchen. "No! Get away from the table, Lisa. The bomb is in there." Lisa watched in horror as the wedding presents fell to the ground. One of the C-6 explosives Jackson had so carefully placed in one of the wedding packages, exploded upon hitting the floor. The impact of the explosion knocked him off his feet, throwing him against the back wall.

"Lisa!" He yelled desperately trying to run back in the room. "It's no use." He thought as he saw how chunks of the ceiling had caved him blocking the entrance. "She's dead." He muttered to himself in disbelief.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The blast was heard from outside the hotel as paramedics and police raced back to investigate. Cynthia, who was standing outside the hotel, saw the massive explosion that came from the ballroom. "Lisa!" She screamed as she tried to race back to the room. One of the police grabbed her around the waist. "Ma'am, you don't want to be in there." He said firmly.

Cynthia tried to protest. "No, my friend is still in there." She struggled to break free but the officer's grip remained firm. She heard distantly, Lisa's mother screaming her name in the distance.

Firemen flooded by her as she watched listlessly tell each other that the search was for a body rather then any survivors. "Lisa sent me away." Cynthia thought to herself numbly. She had saved her life once again. Cynthia felt a knot rise up in her throat as she watched Lisa's mother struggle wildly against hotel security. Cynthia walked over and put her arms around the grieving mother as they both came to terms with the inevitable conclusion. Lisa Reisert was dead.


	19. Epilogue

"_Has this seat been taken?" Lisa asked as she approached the airport bar and indicated to the empty seat next to the enigmatic stranger she had met in the ticket line. He had turned around, a genuine smile of pleasure reached his face as he said, "Nope, it's all yours. So, all your calls made?" He asked pointedly._

_Lisa blushed, showing her embarrassment at the obvious lie. "Yep, no more calls." She said. The two people gazed at each other in that moment of innocence not knowing exactly what the future had in store for them. _

_Suddenly, Lisa vaguely remembered what fate had in store for them. The man had started to introduce himself. "I'm Jackson" Lisa looked at him confused for a moment. "Jack." She whispered. Jackson shook his head. "I haven't gone by Jack in a long time. The last name is Rippner." He said._

"_Jack the Ripper." She murmured. Looking at him, she asked, "This could of happened differently." Jackson shook his head. "We follow the paths we were meant to. I have to follow mine and you have to follow yours, Leese." A tear ran down her cheek. "I wish this could have gone differently." She said. The scene suddenly shifted and they were sitting in the plane. He looked at her. "I didn't want this to get complicated, Lisa." Lisa looked away from him. "Neither did I." She said quietly._

A grim faced anchorwoman was addressing the audience.

_In today's news, tragedy struck Miami's prestigious Lux Atlantic hotel as the hotel manager, Lisa Reisert presumed dead in the explosion that destroyed the hotels infamous ballroom. Eyewitness accounts report that shortly after the wedding ceremony, a terrorist attempt was averted with the help of Miss Reisert in cooperation with Charles Keefe's security._

_A spokesperson for Charles Keefe summarized the events by stating that Lisa Reisert behaved courageously as terrorists who attempted to introduce an unknown chemical agent into the Champagne consumed by Keefe's party was successfully replaced by neutralizing sedatives. "It was an acceptable risk. We had to draw the terrorists out of hiding by having them believe their plan was a success. Now we have made multiple arrests in the last few hours." Charles Keefe quoted. Keefe and his family have fully recovered and are en-route back to the capital where a taskforce will be initiated to find the additional people responsible for this event._

Lisa watched the news from her seat on Charles Keefe's private jet that was en-route to an undisclosed location in Europe. As the anchor displayed the different photos of the men who were arrested, terror gripped her heart briefly as she saw that Jackson Rippner's was not among them. The nightmares of the past never seemed to cease Lisa as her dreams became more distorted.

David turned to her putting his hand over hers. "They'll find him." He said assuredly. Charles Keefe sat across from them. "I promise you we will, Lisa."

"My family and friends think I'm dead." Lisa muttered. David said, "We have to hide, Lisa. Jackson will find out I double crossed him. I just thank God that I was able to get you out of the ballroom in time."

"Why didn't you tell me David?" Lisa demanded still shocked by the events of the day. David shook his head. "I was under orders from Charles not to, Leese. It was important for you to think I had betrayed you. That way, Jackson couldn't find out before we made the switch of the champagne bottles. We needed to find out the extent of DARPA's involvement with the terrorist cells."

Charles spoke up. "David still didn't know where Jackson was planning to introduce the chemical agent and with time running out, I was forced to make a difficult decision. To convince Jackson of David's loyalty we had to have him deliver you back to Jackson after you escaped. I hated doing it but we both knew that Jackson wouldn't harm you. We, however, never meant for you to be kidnapped by him. We had security posted at your father's home the day you left the hotel. We panicked when you disappeared."

Lisa nodded as tears gathered in her eyes thinking of all she was leaving behind. "So, what happens now?" She asked.

David smiled. "New identities and a new home. We get to have our trip to Europe after all. I know you always wanted to live in Paris." He said, trying to put a cheerful note in his voice.

Emotion gripped Lisa's chest as tears trickled down. "I can never tell Cynthia and my mother that I'm alive?"

Gripping her arm, David said, "If they knew, Jackson would use it against them. He won't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in his way between him and what he wants the most."

"Me." Lisa thought. In a brief recollection she remembered the scars on Jackson's arms and wondered where Jackson Rippner would go from here. For a moment, she felt a sting of regret wondering what might have been if Jackson never received the phone call to have Charles Keefe's room changed. "We could have been friends." Lisa thought. "Perhaps more." Now David was her husband and through all the difficult times that lay ahead in their future, they would stick together for better and for worse. Despite her assurances to herself, that Jackson would never find her, Lisa was fearful. "Jackson believes I'm dead." She thought trying to calm herself but the words rang hollow in her mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jackson Rippner watched the news from his secluded hotel room in Miami. Tomorrow, he was heading back to the base in Las Vegas. His mind was filled with thoughts of Lisa as he contemplated what her death meant to him. Shaking his head, he turned on the news. When he learned that Charles Keefe and his family was still alive, Jackson felt nothing but emptiness. "It was just a job." He said. "Better luck next time." He thought. He wasn't altogether sure there would be a next time. His job had stopped giving him any pleasure and his efforts were so mechanical until Lisa Reisert became his assignment. Then he knew he had to have her. Suddenly he heard on the news a statement that got his attention. "Lisa Reisert is presumed dead however a body has yet to be found." A dark smile grew on his lips, as he knew what this meant.

He knew all to well about cover-ups and he was instantly aware that Lisa was still alive. "You're still out there aren't you Leese?" He asked, feeling his hope surge inside him once again. "Wherever you are, I will find you." He stated firmly knowing that Lisa Reisert would not escape him for long. Not as long as he still needed her.

**I've thought about the ending for a while and in a sense, I don't think I've done with the characters everything I wanted too. So, I'm already writing another story that picks up where this one is leaving off a several months down the road. It will have a different title and it will be more about exploring issues between the two characters. In a sense, I don't think any of the endings I could think of for Survivor would really bring closure to my characters. I do apologize that I'm leaving this one a little open ended. Thank you for your reviews. As someone who is doing this for enjoyment and being only a beginner, I'm thankful for them. If you didn't like the ending, I understand but in all honesty, I couldn't be satisified with all the endings I could conceive that would wrap this up neatly.**


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